Looking for a Life
by Coi86
Summary: Hermione is sick of being alone when all of her friends are happy and together with someone. Could bumping into Draco be the answer to her problem? Will she finally attain the life she always wanted? (I know it's been done to death but I just love the pairing!)
1. Chapter 1

Hermione ran her hand through her hair, completely forgetting that she had secured it in a loose plait earlier. Her fingers managed to undo any attempt at neatness and her hair proceeded to fall around her shoulders in long ringlets. If there was a good thing about growing older it was that her hair had seemed to change from horrible bushy, frizzy brown curls to long, curling ringlets that fell to the small of her back. Her body had matured as well, morphing from an awkward teenage girl's body into a beautiful curvy womanly shape. Her breasts were full and perky and her small waist was accentuated by her rounded hips. She wasn't particularly tall but that had never bothered her. As long as she was healthy and liked the way she looked she had no problem with her height.

It was Sunday, and Hermione was curled up in her favourite armchair reading a trashy romance novel from the muggle world. She had decided that today was just for her and hadn't even bothered to get changed out of the pyjama pants and t-shirt she wore to bed. A cup of tea steamed next to her on a small table and a plate of choc-chip cookies was placed beside it. Usually she would be bustling around getting things ready for the work week but lately she had been feeling a kind of malaise. She had no idea what was wrong but a strange feeling of emptiness had settled inside her and she had no clue as to what she should do about it. Her life was full of friends and work so why did she feel lonely? Sure she had decided to focus on her career after breaking up with Ron years ago. She was the head Librarian and researcher at the Ministry. She even helped out St Mungos occasionally with research into new cures and difficult cases. She was very talented at finding what no one else could whether it was in an electronic repository of information or skimming through thousands of dusty tomes in the library. She got along with her colleagues well and sometimes socialised after work but Hermione realised that she had been going out less and less lately.

Suddenly she sat up from the soft cushions as a thought occurred to her. Could she really be feeling lonely because she didn't have a boyfriend? She snorted to herself and took a bite out of a cookie. Hermione Granger, independent, career driven woman, all sad because she didn't have a man? What a stupid idea.

But the more the thought settled in her mind the more she became aware that maybe that was the reason she was avoiding her friends lately. Harry and Ginny were happily married with two kids and were expecting the third at any moment. Luna and Neville had finally gotten together and had been dating for the last five years. They were always cocooned together at friend events, still madly in love. Even Ron had found love with one of Fleurs friends from Beauxbaton's, Amelie. She fit in well with the group and had recently settled into a small flat in London with Ron.

It seemed all of her friends were paired off. Except for her. All of a sudden she couldn't stand being alone in her house for another second. She jumped up from the chair and announced to the empty room," I'm going to have a shower, put on some nice clothes and go out and find me a man!"

After apparating to London Hermione wandered around aimlessly. Her initial get-up-and-go attitude had worn off and she found herself at a loss for where to go. She had no idea where one went to meet people and the thought of going to a singles bar horrified her. In the end she ended up in a small art gallery. There was a new exhibition with pieces from private collections and she thought it would be nice to clear her head with some art. Besides, who said she wouldn't find a man in the gallery? She smiled to herself as she made her way to the next painting. Her mouth dropped open slightly as she realised she was standing in front of one of her favourite paintings from the muggle world. It was a painting by Rene Magritte and it had held her fascination ever since she had seen it in an art book when she was ten years old. Hermione couldn't believe that she was standing in front of the actual original painting. Curiosity welled up inside her as she thought about whose collection it had come from. She would never find out of course. She didn't exactly rub elbows with the wealthy set. She sometimes attended a ball when her boss made her but usually she just went home after work to her little cottage and read or played with Crookshanks.

She was absent-mindedly twirling her hair around her finger when she felt a warm presence next to her. A spicy, subtly citrus scented cologne wrapped around her as she inhaled and without thinking Hermione turned her head to smile at the man next to her. Her eyes widened in shock as she realised it was none other than Draco Malfoy standing next to her. He was looking at her, a slight smirk on his lips as he took in her surprise. As Hermione continued to gape at him he looked her up and down slowly, his eyes darkening slightly in male appreciation. The wine coloured sweater dress she was wearing hugged her body and outlined her soft curves perfectly. His eyes lingered on the black leather boots she was wearing and then came back up to her face.

"At a loss for words Granger?"

His words snapped her out of her trance as she replied," No. I uh, well, I just wasn't expecting to see you here. I mean, I wasn't expecting to see anyone I knew here." Her face flushed a deep red as she shut her mouth to keep herself from babbling her way to deeper embarrassment.

While Malfoy was enjoying her discomfit, Hermione managed to take in how good he looked. He was wearing plain black pants and a dark grey sweater. Simple but damn he looked hot! His steel grey eyes looked darker than usual and his almost white blonde hair was cut in a basic male style, short sides and slightly longer on top. She was pleased to see that he was lacking any hair product. There was nothing worse than thick styling gel in a guy's hair.

Hermione found she was staring and dragged her attention back to the painting. Her heart was thumping unsteadily in her chest and she still felt a bit flushed. Oh no, she thought. I'm actually attracted to _Malfoy_? She tried to remind herself of their history but it didn't quite work. She was just thinking about how he must look under that sweater when he asked," So, you like the painting then? Me too. It's not too far out there but not too traditional either."

She listened to Malfoy discuss the picture and found it hard to believe that he was making polite chit chat with her. The war had changed a lot of people and it had been ten years since it ended but this situation just felt so surreal. Of all the men to bump into and then feel attracted to! Her little day dream ended when Malfoy stopped talking and seemed to be expecting her to say something. All she could think of to say was," I didn't think you'd like muggle art. I mean, I know things have changed and all but when you've been immersed in family prejudices for so long, isn't it hard to change?"

Malfoy quirked an eyebrow and said," Yes and no. My father was the driving force behind all of those..…opinions. I never really agreed with it all as I got older, especially just before the war. After the final battle and with Voldemort gone I found I had freedom to be as I wanted to be. I have quite a large collection of muggle artwork including a couple more from this painter"

Hermione took the hint and said," So you mean this painting is _yours_? Oh I'm so jealous! I've been in love with this painting since I was a kid. If this is just one of your paintings I'd love to see what else you have."

She wished she could bite back the words as soon as they left her mouth. It sounded like she was asking to go to his house and view his private collection! What must he think of her? Forcing herself on him. Hermione decided to end the embarrassment and just walk away. As she turned she felt Malfoy grab her arm, making sure to keep his grip light so as to avoid bruising her. The heat from his hand went straight through the material of her dress and made her skin tingle. It had been a long time since she had been touched by a man and the contact nearly made her moan. Hermione managed to keep her reaction to herself and just looked questioningly at Malfoy.

"Would you like to get a coffee?"

The question hung in the air between them for a moment, as Hermione tried to collect her senses. She had a million questions to ask starting with why would Malfoy ask her to have coffee with him? It was almost a date or at least the prelude to one. As her mind raced and whirled she heard herself answer, "Sure."

Malfoy smiled as he changed his grasp on her arm to instead loop their arms together so her hand was resting on the inside of the crook of his arm. They walked in silence to the little café on the second floor of the building. Muggles and wizards frequented this café regularly so it was no surprise when the maître de ushered them into a secluded spot on the balcony when he spotted Draco Malfoy coming in. There was only one other person sitting a distance away, sipping a lonely looking cup of coffee.

The silence between them began to be strained as they eyed each other over the table. Luckily a waiter arrived to take their order but as he left Hermione could feel the tension again. It was too much for her.

"Alright Malfoy. What do you want? I can't for the life of me even begin to think of why you would want to spend a portion of your afternoon with me. Just get to the punch line so we can cut this misery short and go our separate ways."

Malfoy stared at her for a moment and then threw his head back and laughed. The sound was deep and rich and genuine. Hermione's eyes widened slightly as she felt a tingle in her stomach at the sound. She tamped the feeling down as hard as she could but she couldn't deny that she found Malfoy attractive right in this moment. He had always been handsome but his behaviour and cold hearted ways has been a major turn off for her. She would never have considered him as a potential male she would date. Until now.

Once his laughter had died down to an amused smile, Malfoy explained," Well Granger, I'm glad to see that you're still straight forward and don't play games. I was perfectly happy to tour the new paintings alone until I saw you walk in in that dress. Any man would have found it rather difficult not to approach you."

He held his hand up as Hermione made to interrupt.

"I only meant to walk up to you and have a chat but I'm as mystified as you are as to what made me ask you to have a drink. Although I have to say I'm not regretting my decision one bit."

Hermione felt herself relax a bit and she leant back in her chair and crossed her legs. The table was quite small so Malfoy could see most of her and she noticed his eyes flick down to her boots again as her dress rode a little higher on her legs, just above her knees. She almost smirked as she could imagine what he was thinking. She'd let him stew a little bit and make him ask her about her shoes. It was more fun that way.

"Alright then. It's been ten years after all. I learned a long time ago that I needed to let go of all that rubbish from school in order to grow up and interact in a post war world. I see quite a few of your fellow Slytherins in my day to day work."

The waiter brought their drinks and she paused to add a sachet of sugar to her coffee and stirred it thoughtfully.

"I guess I really forgave you a couple of years ago anyway so there's no sense in making you suffer today."

Malfoy quirked an eyebrow and said," Oh really? And what was it that made you forgive me? Surely not the donations I make or the fact that I'm touted to be a real 'playboy' who flounces around in expensive suits and shags super models?"

Hermione blushed slightly. She hadn't meant to mention this. It had obviously been a secret he wanted to keep though why that would be she didn't know.

She cleared her throat and said," Well, you know that I'm the head librarian at the Ministry but sometimes I do research projects for St Mungos and the like. I was looking into one such project and came across a certain 'playboys' name. He supposedly donates his time as a volunteer healer for cases that St Mungos simply can't figure out or doesn't have time to take on. I have no idea why said person wants to keep this a secret but as no one appears to know about this charity work I kept my mouth shut about it."

She gave him an apologetic look.

"I didn't even mean to bring it up now. It just kind of slipped out."

Malfoy was stunned. She was right. He did want to keep his charity work a secret. He tried to keep as many personal details as he could from the media and general public. That's why the playboy persona had worked so well for him. It was all lies of course but it was the easiest front he could keep up. Ever since the war he had been sick of being in the headlines for whatever reason and being judged for every little thing he did. The lifestyle of a spoilt rich kid had been the best thing to project. It still kept him in the papers and magazines but it wasn't really headline news. And that way he could live his life the way he wanted without being judged and scrutinised. It did mean he was judged for being superficial but in a way it was how everyone expected him to be so he could deal with that. If everyone knew about his real life they would always be second guessing his motives and his face would never leave the front cover of _Witch Weekly_. He just made sure to be seen every now and then with a model or other attractive women and it was enough fodder for the media to feed on until next time. He was grateful that Hermione was so discreet and smart enough to think about why he hadn't told anyone about his work.

He smiled at her and said," No that's fine. Thanks for keeping it to yourself. Someone was bound to find out at some point I guess. I just try to keep anything personal out of the magazines and papers. It'll be our little secret."

His voice took on a seductive tone as he said the last few words and Hermione felt her face react as she blushed slightly. She gripped her coffee cup and took a sip, vainly trying to hide her face from view. Draco chuckled and changed the subject.

"So, enough about me and my personal life. How about you? Still dating that red haired git?" He knew of course that they had broken up years ago but he wanted to see how she would react to his mentioning Ron.

Hermione withdrew from her drink and set it down on the table before bringing her hand up to twirl her hair around a finger as she thought about her answer.

"Well, Ron and I dated after the war for about two years but we decided things weren't working and ended it."

After a sceptical look from Draco she added, "Ok, I ended it. We just grew apart and turned into very different people. Ron thrived on the celebrity of being a war hero and I just didn't. I wanted to build a career with no help from my war status and I wanted to help society in some way. It was a no-brainer that I became a librarian really. I've always loved books and helping the ministry with my research and organisational skills is something I really enjoy. And St Mungos of course. Nothing brings me greater joy than finding the solution to a tricky cure or helping the lawyers discover information that could help a client in need. Ron wanted to party all of the time and hang out with the rich and beautiful and I just couldn't handle that sort of lifestyle-."

She stopped talking all of a sudden, thinking she had said too much. It hadn't been easy dealing with Ron toward the end of their relationship and afterwards had been a nightmare. It seemed he didn't take rejection very well. Even though it had been nearly eight years since they had split up he still couldn't really look her in the eye and was barely civil to her when they met at The Burrow when she went over for the occasional dinner or lunch. The problem was that Hermione had no one to talk to about it properly. There was only so much she could say to Harry or Ginny. They were too close to the whole situation and she didn't want them to feel like they needed to pick a side.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to load all of that onto you. I just haven't been able to talk to anyone about it, even after all this time. And now you're the lucky person that gets to hear me whine on about the past."

She smiled sheepishly and watched at Draco shrugged his shoulders as he said," Sometimes the last person in the world you would expect to be around for a chat can just be there when you need them. I don't mind being that person for you. To be honest I get a bit lonely. Having coffee with you today has been the best part of my week."

Hermione grinned as her eyes happened to drift to the clock on the wall. She almost jumped out of her seat when she saw the time. As she gathered her purse and stood she said," I really have to go, sorry Malfoy. I'm going to see Ginny for an early dinner. Harry's out of the country right now with work so she gets a bit restless while waiting for him to come home."

She saw his eyes flick down to her boots again and smirked, deciding to take a risk and flirt a little.

"I really enjoyed the coffee and chat. Maybe we can do it again sometime?"

She turned to go but turned at the last minute and leant across the table.

"Oh and about my boots. Yes, they're thigh high and real leather. They make me feel good when I wear them. If we see each other again maybe I'll wear the lingerie that matches."

And with that she sped out of the café, not quite believing what she had just said. She had _never_ come onto a man like that before and was so out of character for her but she felt buoyed by the rush it had given her, almost like adrenalin was coursing through her veins. Taking a risk now and then felt good, even if Malfoy didn't respond to her invitation.


	2. Chapter 2

Once she had apparated home, Hermione rushed to change into jeans and a dark blue jumper. Her hair was hastily gathered into a messy bun at the nape of her neck and she was ready to apparate to Harry and Ginny's house.

She managed to get just inside the gate when a squeal erupted from behind the glass pane of the front living room. The front door flew open as Ginny rushed to greet Hermione, her large stomach getting in the way of the welcoming hug. Add to that the two little boys running to hug a leg each and Hermione was at the mercy of the Potters until they saw fit to release her. Eventually the boys ran back into the house and Ginny and Hermione followed.

The two friends detoured into the kitchen while the boys played happily in the front lounge room and Ginny proceeded to grill her friend about anything and everything as she finished preparing dinner.

"So, anything new? How's work? How's your little cottage? Is Crookshanks still grumpy?"

And the questions continued until there was nothing else to ask about.

Hermione took a deep breath and said," Work is fine, busy as usual. The house is great, still lovely and quiet. Crookshanks is as he usually is. He enjoys the garden and doesn't try to catch the birds so that's good. And…..IsawDracoMalfoytodayandhadcoffeewithhim."

She cringed back from her friend and closed her eyes as she said the last part quickly and waited for the explosion. And waited.

After another full minute Hermione opened her eyes to find Ginny staring at her with her mouth hanging open. Then a huge grin lit up her face as she gathered Hermione into a tight hug. She released the brunette and went back to making dinner.

"Oh that's excellent! Finally you've got a man in your life! Oh I wish I wasn't pregnant, otherwise we could celebrate with some champagne! From what I hear he's a bit of a ladies man but hey, anything to get you back in the game. And I've seen pictures of him in _Witch Weekly_. He's one hot man."

Hermione held her hands up to halt the congratulations.

"Whoa! Wait a minute. I only said I had coffee with him. It's not like we were snogging in the middle of the street or anything. I just happened to be at an art gallery in London and I bumped into him and he asked to have coffee with me. That's it. I'm pretty sure nothing will come of it anyway."

The disappointment must have shown on her face.

Ginny laughed and said," Oh but you want something to happen don't you?! I can see it on your face. I bet that an owl will arrive any moment just begging you to have dinner with him tomorrow night."

As if by magic they heard a tapping on the kitchen window. Both women turned at the same time. Hermione gasped as she saw a large black and silver owl knocking its beak against the glass. Ginny laughed out loud and rushed to let the creature in. It flew the short distance to Hermione and landed on the table next to her and held its leg out for her to untie the note attached with a piece of string. With shaking hands she unrolled the parchment but before she could read the message the owl ruffled its feathers in impatience.

"Oh! You want a treat do you? Well here you go."

Ginny grabbed the box of food and offered the animal a small morsel. Almost immediately after swallowing the biscuit, the owl spread its wings and flew back out of the window.

Hermione stared after the receding shadow until Ginny cleared her throat.

"Well? What does it say?"

Her friend snapped out of her trance and looked down at the note. She took a deep breath and read aloud," Dear Hermione. I enjoyed our coffee date today and would love it if you would join me for dinner tomorrow night, at 7 o'clock. I'll pick you up. Draco,"

Hermione stared at the elegant writing before her. He had lovely penmanship. _Much nicer than mine_, she mused to herself. It was probably something his parents made him practice till it was perfect. Heaven forbid a Malfoy should give a bad impression just because of his handwriting! Her mind drifted on to wonder how awful it had been to grow up in such a rigid and exacting household. Her upbringing was so different to his. Part of that was due to being muggle born but even after she got her letter for Hogwarts her life had continued on in the same almost mundane way it always had. Her parents didn't treat her differently just because she was a witch. They were the same dentists they had always been and nothing would change that.

A feminine hand waved vigorously in front of her eyes, snapping Hermione out of a day dream once again.

"Hey! What's with you? You're all scatter-brained today. I thought I was meant to be the one with the muddled thoughts due to 'baby-brain'. Why don't you go and see what the boys are doing and I'll finish dinner. Maybe getting some food into you will help collect those thought fragments and then I can get an answer out of you about this note."

Hermione shrugged and did as she was bid. She located James and Albus in the lounge room, quietly playing with their toys. She didn't want to disturb the rarely peaceful children so she sat on the couch and grabbed a random magazine from the coffee table and read till the food was ready.

As they ate Ginny regaled her friend with what the boys had done recently and how their magic was beginning to manifest as they got older.

"Albus was sitting across the room rom his toy box and suddenly decided he wanted his favourite teddy bear. Somehow he managed to magic the whole box across the room. Luckily it landed just next to him and not on his head but he still had a terrible shock. And so did I, when I heard the crashing sound from the kitchen."

Ginny smiled fondly at her younger son as he ate his food, unaware that he was being discussed. James was already finished and his head was drooping slowly onto the table as sleep fought to overcome his senses. Hermione interrupted her own meal to scoop the young boy up and carry him to his bed. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow. She tucked the blankets around his small form and gently caressed his hair as she listened to his steady breathing.

This was what she was missing, a family of her own. She had a house and a cranky cat and a job she loved but she wanted more. Perhaps Draco was the answer to her problem? She shook her head to try and dispel the thought but it remained stubbornly rooted in her brain. A vision of a little girl or boy with honey coloured hair being swung up into the air by her blonde daddy appeared before her. Hermione sighed and turned to go back to the dinner table as Ginny came through the doorway carrying Albus. Once he was in his bed the women returned to the table to finish their meals.

As soon as the dishes were done and everything was cleared away they retired to the lounge room to chat over a cup of tea. Ginny was bursting with trying not to pressure Hermione into talking about Draco but her inquisitive and slightly aggressive nature took hold and she spent the better part of an hour interrogating Hermione about every detail of her time spent with the man in question.

In the end Hermione had to plead extreme fatigue to get out of the house. Even then Ginny followed her to the garden gate, peppering her with questions. Hermione hugged her friend quickly and said," Look, I've got to go but I promise to visit and tell you all about our dinner date alright?"

And with that she apparated on the spot and appeared at her front door. She let herself in and immediately went to her stock of paper and pens to reply to Draco.

"Draco, dinner sounds great! I'll be ready at 7. Hermione"

She turned to the perch where her owl usually sat during the day time only to find it empty.

"Now where did you go?" she muttered to herself. Hermione wandered over to the kitchen window and opened it, wondering when her pet would return. As she turned away from the opening she heard a rushing of wings and turned to find her owl standing on the window sill with a mouse in its beak.

"Well this is an evening of coincidences," she mused thinking to when the owl had appeared at Ginny's window just as they were talking about it a possible invite from Draco.

At sight of the letter the animal ruffled its feathers in annoyance but dutifully held out its leg for the missive, barely waiting for Hermione to tie it securely before taking off into the night again. She leant against the counter and smiled, thinking that by this time tomorrow night she would have just finished her date with Draco. The thought jolted her into action.

"What am I going to wear?!"

Hermione ran into her bedroom and started rifling through the wardrobe, much to the aggravation of Crookshanks who had been reclining on her bed quite peacefully before his mistress burst into the room. His meow went unheard as Hermione muttered to herself while she looked at one thing or another before discarding it onto the floor.

Normally at this time of the evening she would be calmly selecting her work outfit for the next day but all she could think of was her date. She didn't even know where they would be going. Knowing Draco and his upbringing and current lifestyle it would no doubt be fancy but just how fancy? Should she wear heels or go for comfort? Pants or a dress? Hair up or down?

Hermione crossed her arms as she surveyed the mess she had made. A couple of dresses were still on their hangers and swayed gently on the clothes rail after her frenzied attack on the contents of the wardrobe. A glimpse or bright red caught her eye as the clothes moved back and forth. Hermione parted the garments and found herself standing in front of a beautiful scarlet silk dress. She grabbed the hanger to view the outfit in full and a smile spread across her face. This was perfect! She was sure to make an impression on the calm and collected Malfoy. She chuckled to herself she got ready for bed but knew that sleep would be kept at bay by the tingling anticipation running up and down her body.

Draco sat at his desk, reading a large dusty book on rare medical diseases. His eyes skimmed rapidly over the faded text, jumping over things he already knew about or were not important to the case he was currently handling. He was a qualified healer but early in his studies he knew he could never actually practice publicly as a healer, or anything really, without being closely scrutinised.

It might have taken only a couple of years for the interest to wane and then he could get on with his chosen career with minimal interruptions but he decided to practice his craft in private and just get on with his life. It was easier and St Mungos were always happy for him to help even though he rarely met his patient in person.

A voice floated in from the entry hall.

"Draco dear. Are you home?"

His head snapped up at the sudden noise and then he groaned as recognition of the owner of the voice settled over him. What was his mother doing here?

She had moved to Paris shortly after the war, when his father died in Azkaban. She seemed to think a change of scenery was in order and Paris suited her just fine. Now that he thought about it she had never said the change would be permanent. He ran his hand through his hair in worry as he considered her moving home to the Manor. Just as he had managed to attain some level of a life with the tantalising prospect of romance, his mother would move back into the Manor and ruin it all.

The sound of her footsteps were getting closer as she made her way to the study, seeming to know where exactly her son would be at this late hour. Draco stood up from behind the desk as Narcissa appeared in the doorway. When she spotted him she held her arms open and walked toward him saying," Draco! Oh it's so good to see you again."

She gathered him into a hug, surprising him greatly. 'She must really have missed me to hug me this way', he thought as he broke the contact to lean against his desk. 'Or she wants me to do something for her'. His eyes narrowed at that thought.

After his relationship with Astoria broke up after only two years of being together, Narcissa had made it her mission in life to find a pure blood witch for her son to settle down with and marry. Especially after his father died, she seemed to be desperate to make sure the Malfoy name would continue.

Draco had tried to please her and get along with the different women but he honestly couldn't stand most of them and a couple had only to open their mouths and speak a couple of sentences for him to know he would dislike them immensely. The problem was that he was no longer the 'pure blood' advocate he had been moulded into. He couldn't tolerate the things the people from his parent's world would say any more or how they sneered at others who they deemed to be less than themselves.

After the last girl had thrown her drink in his face at a very public venue after he lost his temper and said what he was thinking instead of keeping it locked away, Narcissa had seemed to give up. There were only so many pure bloods out there anyway and she had run out of suitable matches. The year had been blessedly quiet on that front and Draco had begun to think his mother had given up trying to fix his love life, but now with this surprise visit he didn't know what to think.

He crossed his arms over his chest and said," Not that I'm not happy to see you mother but I do need to ask. Why are you here so suddenly? I thought Paris was the second love of your life and that you were happy to stay there forever."

He was repeating the exact words she had used the other day in a letter to him. He didn't believe a word of it. It was too much of a dramatic statement to be true, especially coming from the woman now sitting before him. The dark leather of the Chesterfield armchair highlighted the still beautiful woman's pale blonde hair and pale skin. She seemed to glow in the semi darkness of the study. He noted she was rather simply dressed but she still looked like she had stepped from the pages of a fashion magazine. She crossed her legs and leaned back into the chair, clearly thinking over what she had to say. Her eyes were sizing him up and she suddenly spoke, obviously throwing any games that she would try to play out of the window.

"Well I did say that didn't I? But even a lover grows tiresome after a while so I thought I would spend some time with my only son. I wanted to make sure you're happy and not slouching around, cloaked in loneliness. You need to go out and meet people Draco! Otherwise you'll become a bitter and twisted old man and we can't have that can we?"

She smiled sweetly at Draco as he took in her words.

"Well, as a matter of fact I have been out and meeting people. I had coffee with a young woman today and we're possibly having dinner together tomorrow night. I was going to bring her here but perhaps that won't be the smartest thing to do any longer."

As soon as the words left his mouth he wished he could call them back. He hadn't meant to say quite so much and now he was sure his mother would ask about the woman in question. Dammit! He had been hoping to keep Hermione to himself for just a little while longer. He wanted to savour being with her before others found out and the inevitable storm hit the papers. Not to mention the reaction from Narcissa.

She leant forward in the armchair with an eager look on her face. Draco knew her mind would be racing with the faces and names of all the pure blood women they knew. Before she could open her mouth to ask he held up a hand and said," Mother. Before you can say a thing, the woman I met up with isn't a pure blood. She's muggle born. She's incredibly smart and witty and so magically talented that most people would swear she's a pure blood. Or just those that hold the old prejudices anyway. Most people now realise and accept that magical ability doesn't discriminate based on which family you happen to come from. Furthermore, I really do like her and nothing you say or do will make me change my mind."

He clamped his mouth shut and waited.

Narcissa looked stunned for just moment before the cool, calm mask settled over her face once again. The words she spoke surprised Draco, rendering him speechless.

"Yes yes! But what is her name? You didn't tell me her name."

It took a moment for Draco to speak. His mother had bypassed everything he had said without much comment only to ask for a name? Maybe he wasn't the only one who had changed over the years.

"Her name is Hermione Granger. And she seems to want to spend time with me."

Narcissa settled back into the chair. She had only ever wanted happiness for her son. He had been through so much darkness that it was about time he had some happiness. The expression on his face as he said Hermione's name was enough to make Narcissa say," Well then. I hope me being here won't hurt your plans too much. The Manor is quite large enough for me to disappear so your date can happen in peace and quiet."

She stood from her seat and placed her hands on Draco's shoulders.

"I hope she's the light in the darkness for you Draco. The two of you will make a good match, I'm sure of it."

She kissed his forehead and turned to leave the room. She paused in the doorway and turned to favour her son with a smile before making her way upstairs to a suite of rooms that she could make her own for the duration of her stay.

Draco stared at the doorway for some time. A slight tapping on the window shook him from his day dream. A snowy white owl was waiting outside, a note clearly attached to its leg. He hastened to let the creature in and watched as it landed in the middle of his desk. The owl held its leg out for him to take the note and took off back into the night as soon as he held the paper in his hand.

He walked over to the fireplace and leant against the mantelpiece as he undid the thin blue ribbon that fastened the roll of paper. His eyes skimmed over the short message and a grin bloomed across his face.

"She said yes", he muttered to himself.

After a moment he moved back to his desk to resume his reading. It was late and he should get to bed but he knew that the case he was working on would nag him back into the study again. Combine that with the tingling excitement that moved over his skin and he knew he wouldn't be getting much sleep tonight.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks to everyone who has commented! It makes me smile =D**

**I kept forgetting to add the following disclaimer:**

**I do not own Harry Potter and will not profit from this story in any way. I write this purely for fun and because I love the characters so much. JK Rowling owns it all, the lucky woman.**

**Now on we go…..[sorry it's a short one and apologies for any typos]**

* * *

The sun was still below the horizon when Hermione threw back the covers and jumped out of bed. She quickly had a shower and threw on a pair of black pants and a dark purple button up shirt and was sipping a cup of coffee by the time the first rays of light were piercing the lightening sky. A snowy white owl was perched in a tree outside the kitchen window and Hermione smiled as she walked over to let the animal in. Wings brushed her face as the creature flew past her to settle on its perch to sleep the day away.

"And good morning to you too."

Hermione stared after her pet for a few moments but got no response. Add that to the indifferent attitude Crookshanks had and Hermione reckoned she had two of the most unaffectionate animals in the whole of the country. She shrugged her shoulders and proceeded to make toast for a quick breakfast. A few swipes of butter and jam later and she was grabbing her bag and jacket, trying to keep the sticky breakfast from making a mess of her clothes, and heading out the door. She stopped just outside her garden gate, turned on the spot and appeared in a secluded alleyway next to the entrance to the library building.

After a couple of moments of hurried munching, Hermione turned to the wall on her right and spoke clearly but in a hushed voice," Hermione Granger, Head Librarian."

A plain black door appeared in the brickwork. Hermione let herself in quickly, just in case any muggles happened to be walking by. There was probably no chance they would even pay attention to her but she liked to be cautious all the same.

After closing the door firmly behind her she walked through a small foyer and into the break room. She deposited her lunch into the communal fridge and took a moment to make herself a cup of tea before making her way to her office.

After a couple of years people had stopped asking her why she chose to run her library just like a muggle would. They rarely used magic and because of that fact she was able to have things like kettles and computers in the building. It helped her feel connected to the muggle world and she felt it helped her staff remember that the world of magic wasn't the only world out there.

"Good morning Herbert."

The slightly balding man waved his hello without looking up from the book he was carrying. His glasses attempted to slide off of his nose and he absentmindedly pushed them back up. Hermione smiled and continued on through the library to the staircase that led to the upper floor and her office.

Once inside the relatively safe confines of her work room, Hermione hung her coat and bag up on the coat stand and sank down into her comfortable work chair. Almost without thinking she slipped her shoes off and tucked one leg under herself. She liked to be comfortable at work especially since the assignments she sometimes undertook were lengthy and tedious. It was all part of being a librarian.

She switched her computer on and while waiting for it to wake up completely she wandered over to the window with her cup of tea.

Even though the day had started off sunny and fair, there were dark clouds on the horizon. Hermione enjoyed any weather, except maybe heat waves but rain and storms were her favourite. She loved it when rain pelted from the sky and strong gales made the rain smash into the large window of her office. It made the space feel so cosy, especially when she only had the desk lamp glowing to illuminate a book or the computer screen. Her office wasn't particularly large but it was big enough for her and her desk. Bookshelves lined the walls and were filled with large reference books, mostly on medical topics for when she helped St Mungos out.

She walked over to the shelves and ran her fingers over the spine of one of her favourite books, _Hogwarts: A history_. She smiled as she remembered how often she would quote the book during her first year at Hogwarts. She could just see the eye rolling from her class mates every time she said something from the book. Especially Harry and Ron. They seemed the forget just how many times her voracious appetite for reading had saved them from danger or at least had helped them out of a tight spot only to plunge head first into more dangerous situations.

Thinking about Ron made her face lose the smile but only for a moment. An image of Draco popped into her head and her smile turned into a girlish grin. Sighing dreamily, she made her way back to her desk and sat in front of the computer. After an internal pep talk of 'ok, now let's get some work done', Hermione proceeded to pick up where she had left off with some research only to find her mind wandering every couple of minutes to the not so rapidly approaching evening.

She sighed. "This is going to be a long day."

Draco dismissed the house elf after relaying his instructions for the evening and looked at his watch. He was surprised to see it was only mid-morning. To him it felt like he had already gone through an entire day but he suspected it was his impatience for the evening to arrive that was blurring his ability to gauge the time. He wanted everything to be perfect, from his mother not interrupting to the lighting and music.

Narcissa had already promised to be good and stay out of the way but Draco was still unsure of her motive. He had learnt that you never trust a Malfoy on face value. You had to take time to observe and talk to them in order to gain a true sense of what they wanted.

He stood in the foyer, wondering if he had missed anything. He wanted to make sure that Hermione was comfortable at The Manor. Her previous experience had been less than enjoyable and he wanted to make sure that she didn't dwell on it too much. The entire house had been redecorated shortly after his father's death. It was a bit more elegant and understated and less 'dark magic dwells here'. The house elves were paid for their work and were treated respectfully. He knew she would appreciate that.

Draco ran his hand through his hair. Maybe a trip to Diagon Alley would ease his mind?

He grabbed his coat and exited the house. After turning on the spot he appeared right out the front of Ollivanders Wand Shop. He turned around to look at the shops, wondering what he actually wanted to look at when his eyes lighted on Flourish and Blotts. He raised an eyebrow as he thought 'maybe I can find something interesting there for Hermione?'

After spending quite some time browsing the shelves he happened upon a small booklet published by none other than Luna Lovegood. He smiled to himself as he flipped through the pages. Vivid images of rare – or non-existent if you knew Luna – creatures grimaced at him from the paper. Draco knew Luna had most likely drawn the pictures herself. He remembered that she was quite artistic even if she was a tad strange.

With his decision made he walked over to the cashier, ignoring the narrowing of the older man's eyes as he reluctantly took his customer's money. Draco could only think that the reason he wasn't refused service was because no one else was probably ever going to buy the book. With his purchase in hand he flashed the man a bright smile and headed back out onto the cobblestone street. He was about to return home when a feminine voice hailed him.

"Draco! Hey! What are you doing out and about? I thought you were a full-blown recluse these days."

He looked around trying to locate the person and saw Pansy Parkinson walking towards him.

He groaned inwardly but plastered a non-committal smile on his face.

"Hey Pans, I was actually just going to head home."

Pansy shook her head and grabbed his arm, steering him toward the Leaky Cauldron.

"Nonsense! You're going to have a drink with an old friend. It's been too long since I saw you last."

Draco had no choice but to allow his old friend to take him where ever she wanted.

Once they were seated and had their drinks in front of them, Draco had a chance to get a good look at Pansy.

Time had been kind to Pansy. Her face had balanced out well and she wore her hair longer now, with a straight fringe. Her nose was no longer an odd shape which made Draco wonder if she'd had it altered professionally. She wore minimal make up and it helped to make her seem fresh faced and younger than her years. Pansy was also sizing Draco up and liked what she saw. Very much so.

They sat in silence for a while and Pansy was the first to speak.

"So. Draco. What have you been up to? I know the papers say you whore around and generally lounge back on your wealth every night but I know you. I'm sure there's more to you than models and money. You'd get bored way too quickly for that."

She waited expectantly for what she thought would be a grand reveal.

Draco shrugged.

"Well, I don't do an awful lot really. And my mother is back at The Manor so I have to deal with her now."

Pansy smiled slyly.

"Oh yes, I know she is. She must have sent an owl out to every pure blood family, inviting them to a ball that's going to be held in a month's time. At The Manor. Didn't she tell you?"

Draco could feel his face drain of all colour. Oh no. A ball? If Narcissa had been in front of him her would have tried to strangle her. A party of this size was going to interrupt his life in more ways than one, he just knew it. And who knew what else she had planned.

Draco stood from the table abruptly.

"I need to get home. Now."

He almost ran out to Diagon Alley, completely missing the gleeful expression on Pansy's face. When she had received the invitation she had wished she could have been there when Narcissa told her hermit of a son about the party. She had never dreamed she would be the one to tell him! She sipped her drink. It had been better than she could have imagined.

Draco burst into The Manor.

"Mother! Meet me in my study. We have something to discuss."

Draco just made it to his desk before Narcissa floated into the study, almost as if she had been waiting for him to come home.

"Yes dear? You seem a little flustered."

Concern clouded her features as she reached a hand out to touch her son's face.

Draco swatted her hand away and sat behind his desk. He felt the need to place distance between them, in case his anger got the better of him. His father had said a gentleman never hits a woman in anger and he really wanted to remain a gentleman in this situation.

"I saw Pansy today. She informed be that we will be having a ball in a month's time. Is this true?"

His mother folded her hands in front of her and nodded her head.

"Yes Draco, it's true. I thought the place could do with livening up. Everyone is invited and I've already begun preparations. Actually I started them before leaving Paris."

She held a hand up to silence her son's tirade.

"No. I will not have anything said on the matter. We will be hosting a ball and you will find a suitable match at the party. The Malfoy legacy is serious Draco. I will not have you just choose a random muggle born to be with. You have a responsibility to this family. The ball will happen and you will be there with your party face on and any snide comments will be kept to yourself."

Narcissa turned and left the room, leaving Draco staring after her. His hands clenched the edge of his desk until his knuckles turned white. He was stupid to have thought his family could ever change. His parents had been part of the pure blood insanity for far too long to change. Obviously his mother thought it was fine for him to date Hermione until whoever she selected came along. Well then. He was going to attend the ball but he was going to do it his way. And their date tonight would go ahead as planned. His mother was just going to have to deal with it.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I hope I'm not going too slowly for anyone but I don't want to rush this story. I'm posting a day early since I won't be at my pc on Friday.**

**Hope you like...**

* * *

The late afternoon sun was trying to break through the heavy clouds as Hermione made sure everything was turned off in her office. The day had been productive after her initial trouble with distracting thoughts. She had made quite a lot of progress with a case from St Mungos. The patient was afflicted with spontaneous fire-starting. He was currently housed in a special room where nothing would burn if he touched it and his meals were left in an ante chamber is case any contact with a person caused any harm. Ordinarily St Mungos would be able to treat the case quite quickly but their specialist was away for the time being and the usual remedies weren't working as desired. Luckily the fires he started seemed incapable of hurting the patient so at least they didn't have to treat any burns he might have.

She shut the door securely behind her and hurried down the stairs. She only had an hour or two to get ready for her date and she didn't want to waste any time. Luckily Herbert wasn't the chatty kind and muttered a good bye in reply to hers as she almost ran past him in her haste.

She nearly made it to the break room door when a voice sounded behind her.

"Hermione! I was just about to leave after seeing the lights were off in your office."

She stopped suddenly and took a deep breath. Her happy mood deflated a bit as she turned around to see Ron standing a couple of feet away from her. He had always had bad timing. She wished she could just turn around and walk away but it was amazing that he was here let alone talking to her voluntarily so she stayed rooted to spot, waiting for him to speak.

"Ron, I don't want to be rude but I really need to get going. I've got a date tonight and don't have much time to get ready."

As soon as she saw his ears going red she knew she should have kept the news of the date to herself. For some reason he was never able to adjust to her dating other men after they had broken up. Even after years and years he still couldn't let go of her completely. Perhaps that was why she had just stopped going out and meeting people over the last year or so.

"Oh well fine then! I break up with Amelie and then come to ask an old friend to dinner and maybe patch things up but now she's too _busy _to fit me into her schedule! Go on then, leave. It's what you always do to me anyway."

Hermione's temper flared at his words. She stalked toward Ron and stopped just short of colliding with him.

"Oh please! Ronald, did you even stop to think that it has been years since we broke up and even more years since we were even remotely romantically involved! Even when we were going out it didn't take long for the fire to sizzle out. You made me _miserable _and now you just expect me to crawl back once you're free? What'd you do to Amelie? She was lovely and maybe a bit too good for you but she loved you. What did you do? Break up with her because you fancied another woman who you'd only just met?"

Realisation dawned as Ron squirmed under the barrage of words and wouldn't look her in the eye.

"Wait. No. I know what's happened. She broke it off with _you_! You cheated on her didn't you? Just like you did with me? I hope you weren't stupid enough to have sex in your own bed with her only to have Amelie walk in like I did? You wouldn't make the same mistake twice I'm sure."

Hermione breathed in deeply and tried to calm down. This was not how she had wanted to spend her time before meeting Draco. Her heart was racing and she was sure her face was flushed.

"It's been ten years Ronald. Just let me go. Please. Now, I've got to go."

Hermione spun on her heel and walked as fast as she could out through the break room and into the little foyer. The black door appeared before her and she stepped through it into the alley. Ron was probably still standing in the middle of the library, mouth hanging to the ground. She hoped he wouldn't cause any problems for Herbert as she spun and appeared at her garden gate. Drops of rain began to fall from the sky and a heavy downpour ensued as Hermione entered her little cottage.

"Whew. That was close," she said to her owl. The animal cracked open one eye before shuffling around on the perch to present it's back to her. Hermione chuckled and went into her bedroom to begin getting ready. She was still hyped up from the confrontation with Ron but slowly, as she showered and did her hair and makeup, the frustration and anger slipped away and was replaced by a pleasant feeling of anticipation of the evening to come. She managed to laugh out loud as she thought of Ron's face if she had told him who she would be seeing. He got mad enough at the mention of a date. His head would explode if he found out it was with Draco!

It was almost seven o'clock by the time she was standing in front of the dress she had laid out on the bed. Doubt began to invade her mind as she wondered if the outfit she had planned was a bit too much but she shook her head. Draco would arrive any minute now so she had no choice but to follow through. Taking risks was part of dating and if she wanted to progress through life at all she would have to just make the jump and do things she wasn't accustomed to.

After managing to zip the back of the dress up, Hermione scrutinised her appearance in her full length mirror.

The dress had a high neck and was sleeveless, showing off her toned arms perfectly. It clung to her curves like a second skin and the oriental style suited her nicely. It ended just above her knees and gave her a chance to wear her brand new black round toe pumps. With a small amount of makeup and her hair up in a slightly messy plaited chignon Hermione was pleased with how she looked. A knock at the front door announced a visitor, most probably Draco. Her heart began to thump as she walked to the front of the house. She took a deep breath to try and calm herself though it didn't really work. She paused a moment longer and then grasped the door handle and opened the door.

Draco stood before her, holding a bunch of dark blue orchids. The smile on his face froze as he registered her dress. After a moment of looking her up and down he said, "Wow. I thought that purple dress looked amazing on you but this dress knocks that one out of the top spot by a long shot."

He took hold of her right hand and kissed it lightly.

"You look stunning."

Hermione blushed and tried to collect her thoughts. _Inviting him in would be a good first step_, she thought.

"Please, come in. You're right on time. I like a punctual man."

They were standing in her small front sitting room and Hermione cringed as she wondered what comparisons he must be drawing between her humble home and The Manor. It must seem like a shoe box to him. As he surveyed the room Hermione had a chance to take a good look at her date. He was wearing a dark grey suit, white button down shirt and a dark red tie. _Heh, that's funny. We're colour coordinated_, she thought.

He looked very good and so sexy Hermione was having trouble trying to keep her imagination out of the gutter.

"Ah, I got these for you. I hope you like orchids."

Hermione started as her mind came back to the present and she focused on the flowers. The hue of the flowers was so vibrant it was as if they were lit from the inside.

"They're lovely! Thank you. You know I think I even have a vase somewhere. Maybe in the kitchen."

Draco trailed after her as Hermione bustled out of the room. He noted how tidy and clean everything was, not that he had expected anything less of the highly organised woman. And of course the walls were lined with built in bookcases. Even the kitchen had its own shelves for books. Only a couple of cookbooks rested there. The other works seemed to be there only because there was no more room on any of the other shelves. He wondered if she could cook. It was rare for anyone from his world to be able to cook anything as they all relied on house elves. Draco himself had learned how to cook, partly out of boredom. After a while he found he enjoyed the art of baking more than preparing main dishes. There was something relaxing about losing himself in the steps of a cake or bread recipe and producing something tasty at the end was always a bonus. It had taken a while for the house elves to get used to him being in their kitchen. But once they realised he wasn't there to punish them or to keep an eye on them they grew used to his visits and ignored him after some time.

The kitchen he stood in now was quite different to the cavernous room he was accustomed to. The area consisted of the kitchen and also a space for the dining table. Large bay windows covered the wall down near the dining table and to his left was the wall oven, stove top, sinks and kitchen bench. It was a pleasant room and Draco thought it would be nice to relax at the dining table with a coffee and the morning sunshine streaming in through the windows. He wasn't surprised that the feeling of the room was completely different to his own home. Even though he had redecorated The Manor it would always feel too grand for him in some ways. And it would always faintly remind him of his father and the atrocities that had occurred there.

He could picture himself living with Hermione quite easily and it surprised him a bit. He had only just reconnected with her and he was already dreaming of the day he would move in!

_I'd better keep those thoughts to myself, _he thought. _Don't want to freak her out completely and scare her off._

Hermione finally located a vase and filled it half way with some water and placed the flowers in, making sure they weren't too heavy for the vessel. She would snip the ends off later and give them fresh water to try and keep them as long as she could. They were the most beautiful flowers she had ever been given. Actually, as she thought about it they were the _only _flowers she had ever been given. She couldn't remember one time that Ron had ever surprised her with a spontaneous gift. He hadn't even tried to apologise by buying her things after she had caught him in bed with another woman.

Hermione narrowed her eyes. _No. I will not think of that prat and let the memories of him ruin my evening with Draco._

She glanced at Draco and found he was looking at her curiously, probably wondering what she was thinking to have such a sour look on her face. She smiled brightly and said," So, shall we go? Are you going to tell me where we're going or will I just have to wait with bated breath?"

Draco chuckled and pretended to give it some thought before saying" No. I think I'll make you wait and see. It's more fun that way."

He held out a hand for her to take and laced his fingers with hers as he gently led her from the kitchen to the front door.

"I'd love a proper tour of you house some time. It's really quite nice."

He had his back to her so he didn't see the surprised look followed by a pleased smile appear on Hermione's face. He seemed to genuinely like her house. An image of them sitting on the couch together chatting or reading sprang into her mind. She could imagine him being around, comfortably settling into her life and maybe even living with her.

_Oh wow, _she though. _I must be nuts to be even thinking about that step! We've only just met again for goodness sake and I'm already acting like some love sick idiot._

She chuckled softly to herself. She had to remind her brain not to travel too far ahead. For all she knew their date would end and then she wouldn't see Draco again. But she wouldn't give up. She would make more of an effort to meet someone else. The thought of having her own family one day was too appealing to just discard and give up on.

Before leaving the house Hermione grabbed her coat and bag, making sure her wand was securely inside. They left the house and walked to the bottom of her gate.

"Trust me?"

Draco quirked an eyebrow as he waited for Hermione to reply.

After a fraction of a second she said, "Yes" in a somewhat breathless voice. Draco linked their arms and apparated before she could think twice.

It took Hermione a couple of moments to take in her new surroundings. She hated side-along apparition but it was the only way for them to get to the date location without Draco telling her their destination, besides muggle transportation of course.

Her eyes opened wide as she took in the front gate entrance of The Manor. A slight tremor ran through her body. Draco felt it and patted her arm gently, trying to reassure her.

"It's safe, I promise. Your experience tonight will in no way reflect the last time you were here. If it does then I've obviously organised the date very poorly."

His attempt at humour helped lift some of Hermione's anxiety but she knew she wouldn't' be able to relax until they got inside and she could see that it was all different. The wrought iron gate swung open as they walked toward it and proceeded to the front door. Draco placed a hand on the enormous front door and it too swung in without any effort. She assumed it was enchanted to admit a Malfoy without the need to knock and have someone else open the door from the inside.

They walked into the foyer and Hermione had to admit she was impressed. The wall sconces were dimly lit and helped to give a nice warm feeling to the room without illuminating the room too harshly. A double staircase was in front of them leading to the upper floor. Numerous closed doors led off into rooms and Hermione didn't even try to guess at what kinds of spaces dwelled behind. She could also see a corridor that went past the staircase. Perhaps it led to a kitchen or out to a garden?

A door to their right was open and the flickering light indicated a fireplace. Draco spread his arms wide and said, "Welcome to The Manor. I won't waste time with a tour. I'm sure you'll see the rest of the house at some stage but tonight is about us and not this old house."

He helped Hermione shrug out of her coat and hung it on the coat rack along with her bag. He motioned toward the open door and they made their way into the room which turned out to be Draco's study. Hermione instantly loved the feel of the room. The carpet was so plush and soft she was sure you would be comfortable sleeping on it without a mattress. The sizable desk was made of a dark wood and glowed in the firelight, as if it had been recently polished.

Gigantic floor to ceiling windows filled the entire wall behind the desk and Hermione could glimpse the silhouette of plants through the glass. There were bookcases along the walls and various sculptures and artworks all around. The fireplace itself was a work of art and was enormous. She was sure she could stand in it and not hit her head on the marble mantelpiece. It had been sculpted out of black marble with grey and white streaks running through it. A dragon had been craved at each end of the mantel but other than that it was unadorned. A couple of Chesterfield armchairs had been placed in front of the flames and a small table sat between them with a tray of different bottles and two glasses on top.

The whole room was like a piece of art and Hermione couldn't help but smile and clasp her hands together.

"It's beautiful Draco. You said you redecorated?"

Draco nodded, enjoying her happy mood.

"You did a very nice job. Simple but elegant and really nicely decorated. I love it!"

Draco took a couple of steps to stand in front of Hermione. She smiled and looked up into his eyes. He gently placed his hands on her waist and her smile faded slightly as her lips parted expectantly. He seemed to be waiting to be told that the contact was alright with her so Hermione took half a step and secured her arms up around his neck. It was all the encouragement he needed as he lowered his head and placed his lips on hers. The contact made her jump slightly as she felt a little spark as their skin connected.

_Must be static from the carpet_ she mused. That was her last coherent thought as Draco began to move his lips over hers. It felt wonderful. Hermione could feel her body begin to heat as passion started to pump through her. She sighed in pleasure and Draco took the opportunity to deepen the kiss. His tongue darted into her mouth, making Hermione moan and tingling sensations shot along her nerve endings. Goose bumps trailed along her skin and she felt as if she was melting.

Draco had only meant to kiss her in appreciation of her words and mood but the kiss had gone from just a bit more than friendly to passionate and promising more. He was finding it difficult to control himself. It had been so long since he had held a passionate young woman in his arms. His kisses with Astoria didn't even compare! No wonder their relationship had ended so miserably. He could feel Hermione press against him, trying to get as close as she could.

_I have to stop this otherwise we won't make it to dinner!_

He gentled the kiss to bring down the intensity slowly and then withdrew his lips from hers. Her face was prettily flushed and her eyes were slightly glazed. Draco was sure his face looked the same. His hands settled on her back, gently rubbing little circles as he said," Would you like to have a drink? I've got everything from firewhisky to peach schnapps if you're into that. Personally I think it's too sweet and doesn't pack much of a punch but I wanted to make sure I had everything."

Hermione grinned and patted at her hair, making sure it was still in place.

"Ah, I guess I'll have a scotch and dry if you have it."

They walked over to the chairs and Hermione sank gratefully into one. Her mind was still muddled from their kissing. She didn't think she had ever kissed anyone like that before. She was glad Draco had had the presence of mind to stop before it had progressed but a small part of her was sad that they hadn't gone further. Her body was thrumming with sensations and her mind wandered to what it would be like. She already knew Draco was in good shape. Seeing him without his shirt would take her breath away.

He handed her a glass with amber liquid in and she smiled into her drink and stared into the flames. They sat a while like that, enjoying each other's company in a confortable silence.

That was until a sickly sweet voice floated into the room.

"Oh for goodness sake! Those silly house elves have misplaced my reading glasses again! I don't know how many times…."

Draco cringed and waited for the noise to fade before looking at Hermione. Her expression was one of surprise.

"Ah, yeah. My mother decided she needed to come home and stay for a while. Don't worry, she will stay out of the way tonight. I'll also remind her that silence is also included in the bargain."

Damn his interfering mother! She knew exactly what she was doing. There was no need for her to be yelling and screaming. He was stupid to have allowed her to stay and even more stupid for believing her loving words of encouragement for his budding relationship on the first night she was back. The prejudice ran deep in the older generation of pure bloods.

Hermione cleared her throat.

"Oh well. It doesn't matter too much. And it's a big house right? I'm sure she doesn't want to spoil the evening for us.

_I hope_, Hermione added to herself.


	5. Chapter 5

Draco took a gulp from his glass. The scotch helped settle his nerves as he wondered if Hermione was spooked enough to cut the evening short. From her words she

seemed to be fine if a little disturbed but not so much that she would leave before the evening was over. The thought occurred to him that he should have locked his

mother in her suite of rooms but almost immediately he knew that wouldn't work. She would have been furious with him for even thinking about it. Maybe he was lucky

she had interrupted things so briefly. Hopefully she would remain silent for the rest of the evening.

He cleared his throat and leaned forward in his chair, almost close enough to touch Hermione's hands if he reached out a little. The amber liquid in his glass glinted in

the light from the fireplace. He started when Hermione's hand touched his own, as if she was trying to reassure him.

"So where were we? I'm rather impressed that you have so many muggle drinks here. I don't know what I was expecting really but it certainly wasn't schnapps of any

kind."

Her gentle teasing brought a smile to his face.

"I just wanted to make you feel comfortable. I know you love the world of magic but the muggle world is your home too."

He absentmindedly stroked her fingers as random thoughts ran through his head. Snippets of his childhood memories tried to take over his mind but he tamped them

down. It was always the bad experiences that came to the front and he would rather not re-live them right now.

A house elf appeared in front of the fire.

"Dinner is ready to be served master. If you and the young lady would like to go to the dining room we will serve in a couple of moments."

He disappeared before Hermione had a chance to comment on his attire. To her surprise the house elf had been wearing a nice set of pants and a long sleeved t-shirt. It

was the first time she had seen one of them wearing proper clothes and not a sack or some other awful item that was never intended to clothe anyone.

She had heard that house elves were treated better now and that regulations had been set in place for their working conditions but she hadn't witnessed it as no one she

knew had any of the creatures working for them. It still seemed to be the pure bloods that used them but anyone was able to employ them now.

The memory of Dobby was still fresh in her mind, as if she had seen him only yesterday. A sad look flittered over her face briefly but not before Draco had seen it. Before

he could ask what was wrong she said," Seeing the house elf reminded me of Dobby. He would have been overjoyed to see how his fellow workers can live now. It was

all he ever wanted. To be free and happy. And to have friends."

Draco stood and gently tugged Hermione up so he could hug her close. He felt guilty even though he hadn't been the one to kill the little elf. His guilt stemmed from all of

the bad choices his family had made and all of the cruelty they had inflicted on others over the generations. He couldn't change the past. He had already accepted that

fact but it didn't stop him from feeling the way he did sometimes.

Hermione snuggled into Draco's arms, enjoying his warmth. Her head fit comfortable into the space just below his chin and she inhaled his scent. She wanted to stay

right where she was all night but a growling sound from her stomach decided otherwise. Draco chuckled and kissed her on the forehead before moving away from

Hermione.

"I think it's time for some food. I think the last time I ate today was breakfast so it's only a matter of time before my stomach joins in the chorus."

Hermione felt her cheeks grow warm but laughed of her slight embarrassment.

"It's been a long time since lunch and I skipped my usual afternoon snack. I was too busy reading and then before I knew it, it was time to leave."

She shrugged her shoulders and followed as Draco led her from the study. They entered the foyer again and headed towards a set of doors that were to the left of the

staircase, near to the corridor that Hermione had thought led to the kitchen. He placed a hand on the handle and pushed the doors in. They stood on the threshold as

Draco waited for Hermione to take in the room before her. He could tell she was impressed again by the size and decorations. He could admit that his home was rather

grand and even he stood in awe of it sometimes. It was one of the reasons he had chosen to stay and refurbish the building instead of selling it.

The dining room was enormous, like the study, perhaps even bigger as it seemed to accommodate the largest table Hermione had ever seen. It was made of a dark

wood that looked like the same the desk was made of. She guessed that it could seat at least twenty people comfortably, maybe even more. It took her a moment to

realise the table was clear of any plates or cutlery which made her wonder what they were doing there if it wasn't where they were going to eat. She looked at Draco

questioningly and he smiled and gestured to the far end of the room. She moved around the table and what she saw made her grin.

The far wall was made up of large windows, again like the study, but what made it different to the other room was an alcove interrupted the straight lines of the wall.

Hermione imagined it usually had cushioned benches inside it so you could sit and read in the sun like being in a small sun room or parlour. But for the moment it had a

small table and two chairs in it and candles situated all around. She walked over and touched the white roses that adorned the middle of the table. The crystal vase was

almost more beautiful than the flowers. Faint classical music played in the background, making Hermione think of concerts she had been to in muggle London. Draco

touched her arm and motioned to the chair he had pulled out for her. She smiled and sat down gracefully, smoothing her dress out. She continued to look around as

Draco settled himself in the chair across from her. It really was beautiful. The atmosphere was lovely. She sighed happily and leaned forward.

"This is all so lovely Draco. You've gone to so much trouble, just for me. Thankyou."

Draco poured them some water from the jug on the table.

"It's nothing you don't deserve Hermione. I wanted everything to be perfect for our first date."

He grimaced as he glanced at the ceiling.

"I know it's not ideal with my mother being here but I think her interruption earlier will be the last we hear from her, for tonight at least. Now, what would you like for dinner?

You can have anything you like."

Hermione thought about it for a moment and then said," Roast beef, gravy and vegetables."

Draco said," Hm, that sounds good. I'll have the same."

The house elf from before popped into view beside the table, making Hermione jump. He held two large plates and placed one before each of them. A savoury fragrance

wafted up to tease her nose and she inhaled deeply. It had been a while since she had eaten good roast beef. She had yet to master the simple skill of being able to

roast different meats. Oh she had tried but failed miserably. Her last attempt had filled the house with smoke. And forget Yorkshire pudding. She hadn't even thought

about trying to make it. It was one of her favourite things to eat with a roast and to her delight a nice crisp piece sat on the side of her plate.

Both Hermione and Draco looked at each other and without another word they began to eat. Small amounts of conversation drifted between them as they thoroughly

cleaned their plates. It felt natural for them to be eating together and both felt at ease with the other.

Once the last pea had been scooped up and the final streak of gravy had been taken care of, they sat back and enjoyed the feeling of having had a good meal.

"This food reminds me of being at school during the feasts."

Draco laughed.

"Yeah. I always looked forward to meal times. It was nice to be upstairs with everyone. The hum of conversation helped to alleviate the loneliness."

Hermione quirked an eyebrow, prompting him to explain.

"Well, yeah. I had Pansy and Blaise to keep me company but it wasn't the same relationship you had with Potter and the Weasel. The major reason they hung around me

was because I'm a Malfoy. To be honest I couldn't stand Blaise back then. He was just so conceited and cared about nothing more than being popular. He's a bit better

now that he had to take over the family business but he still cares a lot about being 'in' with the beautiful people."

He leant back in his chair and rested his hands behind his head.

"And Pansy. She's still a bitch really. There's no curing that trait. She just hides it better than she used to."

Hermione chuckled at his frank assessment of two people she hadn't seen for a long time. She had bumped into Pansy once at the Ministry when she had to take some

records over to the auror's office. They had paused to nod briefly but that had been it. She had casually asked the secretary she had dropped the papers off to about the

woman and had been told that Pansy was dating one of the lawyers that worked for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

Hermione had left it at that. She was only mildly interested in the former Slytherin. She had disappeared shortly after the war ended and Hermione had always wondered

what had happened to her.

"Huh. I guess it doesn't surprise me too much that they've turned out the way they have. Blaise was always heavily influenced by his mother who thrived on being a pure

blood celebrity and Pansy was always ignored by her parents and the rest of her family so she was always a bit angry and just couldn't hold it in all the time."

Draco nodded and turned the conversation in the direction of coffee and dessert. Hermione opted for jam steamed pudding with custard and Draco chose dark chocolate

mud cake.

After they had finished eating they moved back into the study to finish drinking their coffee if front of the fire.

After a little while Draco jumped up and said,"Oh I almost forgot! I got a special little book today. It really is one of a kind."

He strode over to his desk and grabbed a small, thin item out of a drawer. He handed it to Hermione as he sat down and picked his coffee cup up. He smiled over the rim

of the cup as he watched the expressions that moved over her face. He, and everyone else, knew of Hermione's opinion of Luna's expeditions and the creatures she

supposedly found.

As she flipped through the booklet, Hermione couldn't help but cringe at some of the illustrations. They were really quite detailed and rather ridiculous, at least to her

mind. It still amazed her after all these years that Luna still believed in the crazy idea that all of these creatures existed. Hermione enjoyed having Luna as a friend and

liked to see her on occasion but sometimes it was hard for her to hold her tongue when her friend began telling everyone about the long-snouted gnarple she saw the

other day. If there was one thing she couldn't stand it was misinformation. It drove her crazy that Luna believed in these fantastical creatures but she could also

appreciate the funny side to it. Sometimes anyway.

After laying aside the book and laughing over it with Draco, Hermione found herself stifling a yawn. She didn't know how late it was but after eating and drinking and

relaxing in front of the fire she was beginning to feel drowsy. She thought it would be so nice to just lay down in front fo the fire and go to sleep. It would be so nice to go to

sleep in Draco's arms and to feel his warmth surrounding her like a blanket. The thought of full body contact snapped her out of her dream like state and she could feel

her body react to her thoughts. She felt Draco's gaze on her and she looked at him. The look in his eyes made her wonder if he knew what she was thinking. A blush

began to rise up her neck, threatening to spill over her face. She stood up suddenly, breaking the connection their eyes had made.

"I should get going. It's getting late and I've got work tomorrow and..." _I'm so tempted to stay the night that I might just throw myself at you without thinking and I need to_

_leave before that happens_, she added in her head.

Draco rose from his chair slowly as if he was trying not to spook her by any sudden movements.

"It's okay Hermione. You don't have to feel weird about needing to leave. I get it. Neither of us wants to rush into anything. I'm fine with taking things slow."

Hermione realised she was clasping her hands in front of her awkwardly. She pried her fingers apart and let her arms relax by her sides. She hadn't realised she was so

nervous about the whole subject. Yes, she desired Draco and wanted to be with him completely but there was also a part of her that needed to take it slow and ease into

things. She knew they had both been out of the dating game for sometime and going too fast could damage things.

She smiled coyly at Draco and moved toward him slowly.

"I'm glad to hear you say that. I just need to get used to being with someone before I can take that step. But", she stood in front of him and placed her hands on his chest,"

that doesn't mean we can't still do this at least."

She raised herself on the balls of her feet slightly and kissed him softly on the lips. Draco stood still for a moment but as soon as Hermione's tongue touched his he snaked

his arms around her and held her close. She could feel the heat radiating off of him, even through the thick layers of his suit. As they kissed and touched one another she

could feel his erection pressing against her through his pants. She moaned and pressed against him. A throbbing started between her legs and heat began to coil in her

core. Draco placed a hand on her rear and ground against her body. She felt so soft and female. He wanted nothing more than to take that alluring dress off of her and

look at her nude body in the firelight. He was so close to laying her down in front of the flames but Hermione broke the kiss before he could act upon his desire. They

were breathing hard, just like the kiss earlier but this one had been a bit more intense. Draco knew that if they kept on acting like this they would end up in bed together in

no time and 'going slow' would be a figment of their imagination. Hermione was thinking the exact same thing.

"Wow. I'd, um, better go. Before we get too carried away."

Draco managed to nod and they stepped away from each other but still held hands as they made their way to the front door and the coat rack. He helped her into her coat

and opened the front door. The cold air hit them like a wall of ice. Hermione wished she had brought her gloves and scarf. Luckily the trip back to her home would be

quick. Magic was wonderful sometimes.

They walked slowly to the spot where they could apparate. A moment later they were outside Hermione's gate. Draco held it open for her and walked her to her door, as

any gentleman would. They tunred to each other and both seemed to hesitate. Hermione was the first to speak.

"Thank you for a wonderful night Draco. It really was a perfect first date."

She stopped before saying she hoped they would have many more dates and that she couldn't wait to see him again.

Draco kissed her hand and said,"It was my pleasure Hermione. I really enjoyed our time together. I hope you'll agree to seeing me again?"

She looked radiant as she smiled and nodded. It was exactly what she had wanted to hear.

"Good night Draco."

She leaned forward and kissed his lightly on the cheek. She lingered for a moment, loving the way his skin felt against hers. She stepped back and placed her hand on

the door knob.

"Good night Hermione."

He watched as she opened her door and locked it behind her. Satisfied that she was safe he turned and almost skipped down the pathway. He was so happy as he

apparated home. Nothing and no one, not even his mother would take this feeling away from him. He would make sure of it.

Hermione leant against the door as she breathed in deeply, trying to keep her excitement from overwhelming her. She had the most wonderful feeling of euphoria filling

her up. The date had gone so well! Her nerves had melted away as soon as she saw him holding those blue orchids out for her. She twirled across the room to her

bedroom. Her coat and handbag fell to the floor along with her hair clip and dress. The shoes came off next and for once Hermione didn't feel the urge to put everything

away neatly before she went to bed. It could wait till morning. She shook her hair out and unhooked her bra to drop it alongside the other garments. Slipping between the

flannelette sheets and sinking into her bed was such a perfect to end to the perfect evening. Well, almost perfect. She smiled to herself as she drifted off to sleep with

images of Draco floating through her mind. Her dreams would keep her warm tonight.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:**Sorry for the absence! Just call me lazy. =D

I guess I should warn that this chapter has a very tiny amount of name calling in it. I don't think it's merits a 'warning' but perhaps some people do. Oh and I promise I didn't start out to make Ron so awful but it just happened that way. Apologies to the Ron fans out there.

I'm also working on a GOT fic as well [concerning a Frey girl and Robb], hoping to post it very very soon.

Thanks for reading!

* * *

Hermione's eyes fluttered open the next morning as she felt Crookshanks amble across her stomach to jump down to the floor. She turned her head and watched his fluffy orange tail disappear through the doorway. Dim light was filtering in from between the closed curtains so she supposed it was about time to get up anyway. After a bit more stretching and yawning she dragged her body out from under the warm blankets and threw on her dressing gown and stuffed her feet into her slippers.

Getting out of bed was usually easy for her. She loved the morning, especially the hour before dawn. Everything was so quiet. It had always been her favourite time to get in some more study at Hogwarts since it was pretty much a guarantee that no other students would be around. The common room always had a roaring fire and she would settle in a chair near the window so she could watch the day get brighter as the sun rose.

It was hard to wake up this morning because she had stayed up far later last night than she had in years. Ron would always make fun of her for going to bed before ten o'clock. He always stayed up way past the middle of the night, often coming in at three or four in the morning. That was if he came home at all. It was just one of their many differences.

After a nice hot shower, she shuffled into the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee. She leant against the bench and a smile spread across her face as she went over the previous night's events in her mind. The smile turned into a grin as she went into her room to change into clothes for work. The grin remained on her face as she made her way to the front door to leave for the library. A shuffling noise beyond the door made Hermione pause and cock her head to the side. After a minute or two more sounds of movement out the front made her wonder who or what was out there. After shrugging to herself she opened the front door and a wall of sound and light propelled her back into her home. She hastily made sure the door was locked and pressed her back against the wood, her breath coming in quick gasps. The noise outside was still quite loud and she could still hear the cameras taking snaps of her house and anything else that took the photographers fancy.

She racked her brain as to why so many journalists were camped right outside her front door. It took a couple of moments for it to click into place.

"They must have heard about my date with Draco!"

She slid down the door and buried her face in her hands. She knew her current band of cameras would be nothing compared to what Draco would be dealing with. And she could only imagine just how much he would loathe the attention after what he had told her about trying to lay low after the war. What were they going to do? She sighed and stood up straight. Right now she needed to get to work and then let the day unfold from there. She considered just apparating straight from her living area but decided against it. She didn't want anyone to think she would just run and hide. She set her shoulders and opened the door again. She looked straight ahead and managed to make her way through the throng of people to her garden gate.

The silence of the alley was deafening after the shouting of just a couple of seconds ago. Hermione placed a hand against the wall and tried to settle herself before announcing her name to the bricks. Once inside the building she breathed a sigh of relief. Hermione was certain that no one from the media would bother her at work. The Ministry wouldn't allow them into the main building and certainly not into the library. It didn't solve the problem of them being at the front of her cottage but at least she had a chance to breathe and try and contact Draco. Her hands shook as she hung her coat and bag up. What if he wanted to stop seeing her? Granted nothing had really happened yet but she wanted to hang onto the possibility of something developing between them. He was the first man she had met that could keep up with her intellectually and actually hold a conversation with her. And he wasn't thrown off when she would suddenly segue without warning into a completely different subject to the one they had just been discussing. He even seemed to delight in her random thoughts about things. She loved seeing that gentle smile appear on his face when she made an odd comment about the colour of a rose or when she would ask a question that neither of them could answer but they would enjoy mulling over anyway.

"I can't lose him", she whispered as she made her way to her office. She stepped through the doorway and stopped on the spot. Her desk was covered in a mountain of paper. Scrolls tied with fancy ribbon, properly enveloped letters and random bits of ragged paper were piled upon one another and had begun to spill onto the floor.

She had forgotten to close the window in her rush to leave the night before and it had allowed numerous owls to fly in and drop the missives in her office. Memories came flooding back to when she had received piles of hate mail when Rita Skeeter had falsely reported that she was going out with Harry and Viktor. The pain from the blisters caused by the Bubotuber pus made her reluctant to touch any of the letters. She sighed and decided to make a cup of tea before beginning the clearing up. It was going to be hard to get any work done today. She knew it was just the beginning. What she really needed to do was speak to Draco so they could come up with a plan on how to deal with the situation. Nervous fluttering filled her stomach again as she thought about him and what he might say. She was so distracted that she didn't notice the very object of her thoughts was standing at the bottom of the staircase, watching as she descended. Draco cleared his throat to get her attention before she bumped into him.

Hermione started and a grin broke out on her face when she saw him, only to be replaced by a lesser smile that was closer to a frown than anything else. They stood awkwardly before Draco held out a hand to her. She took it and he drew her into a hug. With his chin on top of her head he said, "Don't worry about this. I'm sure it'll all blow over in a couple of days. I'm more concerned about how the newspapers and magazines found out and why the person telling them did so."

Both of them thought of the only person who could have relayed the information to the media.

Narcissa.

But why? Draco wondered. He already knew of her disdain for his relationship but he had thought her organising of the ball was going to be the only interfering she would attempt. To leak the date they had gone on to the media was almost childish and not up to the standard of deceit he was used to from his family. He was glad his father wasn't present. He could only begin to imagine what schemes that man would dream up. Or perhaps he would go for the simplest remedy. He would most likely have murdered Hermione without a thought and then moved on with his life. More dark thoughts followed as Draco attempted a smile before pulling away from Hermione.

"Is there some where we can sit and have a cup of tea or something?"

Hermione nodded and led the way to the break room. She gestured to a chair for Draco to sit in and proceeded to make them each a cup of strong tea. Once she was sitting across the table from him she found she couldn't look him in the eye.

The rim of her mug was very interesting all of a sudden. When Draco realised she was avoiding eye contact he chuckled and reached across the wooden table top to gently brush his fingers across her hands to try and get her to relax the death-like grip she had on her mug of tea.

"Hermione. Look at me."

It took a moment longer than it should have but finally brown eyes met blue ones.

"Our date last night was the best time I've had in quite a while. Maybe even the best time I've had in my whole life really."

A grin reappeared on her face as his words reassured her. That and he didn't break eye contact with her. Surely he would be all darty eyed if he was lying. Wouldn't he?

"I know it's unsettling to be bombarded with all of this attention but we will get through it. A couple of cameras and magazines won't deter me from spending more time with you. And we will deal with anyone else involved as well. Ok?"

Hermione nodded and took a sip of her drink. The next words from Draco's mouth almost made her spit it out in surprise.

"Oh and there will be a ball at The Manor in about a month's time. I was thinking you might like to come with me? Or if you don't want to then that's ok. I get that you like to stay out of the spotlight and all that…."

She shook her head quickly and managed to swallow her tea before blurting out, "Of course I'd love to go! I might be a boring librarian at the Ministry library but I'm a woman too. Any excuse to get all dressed up and have a night out works for me!"

Her eyebrows drew together in a slight frown and she thought about it a bit more.

"But won't your mother mind you bringing me? I know she's not too pleased with us and there will be an awful lot of your family's friends there too. Are you sure it's a good idea?"

Draco huffed and glared into his mug before answering.

"Even if mother disapproves it doesn't matter. If I want to take my girlfriend to a party then I will. And we'll have a great time too!"

They both burst into laughter at how childish Draco sounded. Their mirth turned into easy conversation as they discussed this and that. After two more cups of tea, Hermione reluctantly said, "I really should get back to work. I've got a mountain of letters as a result of the news about us. I suppose I need to deal with them as well. Goodness knows what they say."

"Would you like me to stay and help? I can try and intercept the ones with unpleasant surprises in them. I'm sure there are a lot of them since the female wizarding population must be heartbroken that I'm now taken."

The goofy grin on his face was enough to send Hermione into a cascade of giggles. Draco took the opportunity to rise and walk around the table to kiss her into silence. After a couple of breathless moments they broke apart. Hermione smoothed her hair and smiled. "And here I thought this day would be horribly dull. Come on, I'll see you to the door and then I really must get back to my office."

They held hands as they ambled over to the double doors that led in from the main foyer. They paused for a quick kiss before Draco said," So, I was thinking, since the secret is out now and everyone knows or at least think they do I was wondering if you wanted to go out to dinner tonight? There's no point trying to hide now."

Hermione was about to answer in the affirmative but remembered something.

"Oh! I can't. Sorry. I promised Ginny I'd pop by her house tonight after work." She left out the part about her visit being for the sole purpose of telling Ginny about their date.

Then an idea occurred to her.

"You could always come with me if you'd like? I know Ginny would love to reacquaint herself with you and it might be easier if you meet everyone again one at a time."

Draco paused before answering, thinking it over. He knew he would have to get along with Hermione's friends if they were going to make a go of being a couple. It had been a long time since school and everyone had grown up. He hoped they could put their differences aside and accept him. He nodded.

"Yeah sure. I can't say I'm not interested to see how all of my old enemies are going. Shall I swing by here after work and we can go over together?"

Hermione nodded and kissed him quickly on the cheek. "I'll see you later then."

She watched as he made his way out of the door and then she ran up the stairs to her office, her happiness and excitement making her feel as if she was floating. She pushed the letters that had fallen into her chair off onto the floor and almost fell onto the seat. Her heart was beating so fast, like it would jump out of her chest and out the window. She felt all jittery and couldn't make the smile on her face go away. So this is what it felt like to be excited by someone. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt this way. She knew she wouldn't be able to focus on work so she grabbed a letter opener and began going through her mail. Her blissful mood helped her get through the horribly insulting letters and her smile got even wider when she read the ones that were encouraging of her relationship. Even a couple of death threats didn't bring her down from cloud nine but she did put them in a pile of their own, just in case they needed to be looked at more closely. After the war she had grown accustomed to all sorts of letters that people would send. After a couple of years the letters mostly stopped, one would come in every now and then but Hermione was happy that people had moved on from the war and had gotten over the 'celebrities' that had been created during the war. Harry still had to deal with it a fair bit but luckily his work as an auror kept him busy and moving around.

Like Draco he had managed to stay out of the direct spotlight of the media. Hermione knew that if they could just put their past aside that they would most likely get along rather well. They actually had a lot in common. She smiled as she thought of the look on Harry or Draco's face if she actually said that to either one of them.

The rest of her day was spent replying to the sane letters and burning the horrible ones. Pleasant thoughts drifted through her mind all day but it wasn't till it was nearly time for Draco to come by so they could go to Ginny's that she realised she should have owled her about bringing someone with her.

"Ah well. I'm sure it will be fine. I hope," she said to no one in particular.

She grabbed the stack of letters that she wanted to show Draco and left her office, happily humming to herself as she walked down the stairs to the ground floor. A tense feeling in the air made her glance up and she almost groaned when she saw who was standing there.

"Really Ron. You shouldn't start making a habit of appearing at my place of work like this. How do you keep on getting past the reception without anyone letting us know you're here anyway?"

His scowl deepened and he made a shooing motion with his hands.

"I shagged the blonde who sits at the desk once and now she'll do anything for me."

Hermione grimaced at the implication behind his words. She should have known anyway. If history had taught her anything she wouldn't be surprised if Ron had slept with half the planet by now. He stomped closer to her, holding a newspaper in his hands. He waved it in her face and nearly shouted," Is this true? Are you that much of a desperate whore that you'll shack up with anyone now? He's dirt Hermione! How could you do this to me?"

She resisted the urge to take a step back as he crowded her personal space. Her words dripped with venom, making him flinch slightly.

"How could _I _do this to _you_? You can't be serious. I thought we had already talked about this but it seems you're not as smart as I give you credit for Ronald. You forget that before we broke up _you _cheated on _me_ numerous times. And in our own bed for goodness sake!"

She threw her hands up in frustration.

"But more importantly. WE-ARE-NOT-TOGETHER-ANY-MORE! I can't believe you think that I'm always just waiting to come running back to you every time you have a hole in your social calendar. I guess I can add 'delusional' to the list of how to describe you to people. I thought I made it clear that we are no longer an item. I hope my being with Draco provides you with some much needed clarity on the subject."

The darkening rage on his face made her falter a little, wondering if she had pushed him too far by mentioning Draco in such a way. She saw his hand curl into a fist and wondered if he was going to strike her. Ron had never hit her before but she knew his rages could be nasty. Many a hole had been made in the walls of their apartment as he took his frustration out on the plaster. Before either of them could move a voice sounded from the entry doors.

"Is everything alright?"

Hermione leaned around Ron and relief washed through her at the sight of Draco standing there. He appeared calm as he looked at the situation before him but he was a master at concealing his true emotions. As soon as he had walked into the room and seen what was unfolding in front of him, his first instinct had been to pounce on the weasel and pound him into oblivion. His mind managed to whisper that it would be a poor choice for the moment so restraint ruled as he tried to smother the urge to punch and kick.

Hermione, I think it's time we go," he held out a hand and she smiled gratefully and moved around her ex to get to safety. Ron's hand shot out and clamped down on the tender flesh of her forearm and she squeaked in surprise and pain as she looked into his eyes. An almost smile formed on his face at the noise she made but it was quickly gone as Draco strode over and grasped Ron's wrist tightly.

"I suggest you let go. Unless you want me to attempt to snap your wrist. By all means let me have a go."

Draco spoke quietly but the menace in his voice was evident. Ron appeared to think about it for a moment but finally let go of Hermione's arm. A red impression of his hand was on her skin and she knew it would form into a bruise by the morning. Draco put his arm around her shoulders and without another glance at the red head, he steered her toward the door. Before they made it out into the reception hall they heard Ron shout.

"You won't get away with this ferret! You've got the bitch for now but I'll make you pay! No one treats me like this!"

They made it out the front of the building and Draco apparated right there on the street, not caring who could see them. They appeared in Hermione's living area and she felt her legs give out almost immediately. Before she really began to fall to the floor, Draco scooped her up and sat on the couch with her on his lap. Her face was pressed into the side of his neck and he wrapped his arms around her, anchoring her to him and making her feel safe and secure. He stroked her hair and back, trying to offer what comfort he could after such a horrible confrontation. For a moment he had thought Ron was going to hit her. The thought had made his stomach feel like it was full of rocks and his heart had begun to race as adrenalin kicked in. He was still feeling a bit jumpy but made an effort to settle down.

They sat like that for some time until Hermione lifted her head and said, "Thank you. I'm not sure what was going to happen but I'm glad you were there to stop it."

She kissed his cheek and made to get up from her comfortable seat. Almost too comfortable actually. She wanted to stay on his lap all night and just spend time with him. And the melting feeling she had whenever she touched him wasn't too bad either. Just being near him helped to make her feel better after the confrontation with Ron. She still felt a little odd but knew she had to try and not let it affect her or the rest of her afternoon. Which was why she was trying to get up and change out of her work clothes.

"Are you sure you still want to go out tonight? We can just stay here and hang out. I can cook us dinner."

The idea was tempting enough to make her stop moving to stand up but in the end she knew which choice she should make.

"That sounds wonderful, it really does but I should really keep my word to Ginny. If we don't stay too long maybe we can come back here for coffee or something?"

Draco nodded in agreement and hoisted himself off of the couch.

"Well, I'm going to go change quickly and then we can leave ok?"

He nodded again as he wandered over to one of the many bookcases that lined the walls. Hermione rushed into her room and threw on the same pair of jeans she had worn the other night but chose a long sleeved maroon top instead. She sat on the bed to pull on a pair of pink and blue striped knee high socks and slipped on some plain black flats. After a quick glance at her hair she decided it would do. She walked out to find Draco engrossed in a book from her shelves. He didn't realise she was ready until two slim arms wrapped around him from behind and tightened in a hug of sorts. He hummed appreciable as she stroked his chest and stomach through his jumper. He turned in her embrace and held her close, running his hands up and down her back. She sighed contentedly.

"Are you _sure _you want to go out? I can think of something else I'd like to do."

She could hear the smile in his voice and was again tempted by his words. She groaned and stepped back, away from the intoxicating scent of the male before her.

"Let's go. The longer we stay here the more difficult it will be to leave."

After a cursory look out the front of her house through the front curtains, Hermione decided it might be best to apparate from the living room instead of going outside. There were still a couple of camera men out there and she would really rather not fan the flames of her supposedly torrid love affair. She held out her arm and Draco took it lightly, taking care not to hurt her bruised arm.

"Ok. 1…..2…..3….."

And they were out the front of Ginny's. The windows glowed from the lights on inside, giving the house a nice inviting feeling. Hermione patted Draco's arm reassuringly as they made their way up the garden path to the front door.


	7. Chapter 7

Hermione paused for a moment before knocking and glanced at Draco, an eyebrow raised. He smiled and nodded thinking it was best to just get the initial meeting over with. Literally a second later, the door flew open. Ginny's beaming face was the first thing Hermione saw, as her friend's eyes ran over the two of them. It was almost as if she had been expecting to have an extra guest this evening. It made Hermione even more curious to read what had been said about them in the papers.

Or maybe not.

She cringed at the thought of what Rita Skeeter had been writing. And Lavender. Ever since she had become a gossip columnist for _Witch Weekly_, just before Ron and her had broken up, she had woven little comments about Hermione into some of her pieces. Just little things at first like when she wrote about 'How to style your hair: tips for those afflicted with bushy nests atop their heads' she had stopped short of naming Hermione outright. She knew it was just a poke at how she had looked at school and it didn't bother her too much. But then as details of her relationship and break up with Ron emerged the commentary got a little nastier. Lavender began to write about 'How to keep your man' and 'Just say yes and keep that man happy!'. It had gotten quite silly really and Hermione managed to ignore most of it and still enjoy some of the articles in the magazine but when it became apparent that Ron had begun dating Lavender, Hermione had stopped reading altogether. She knew it was only a matter of time before private details about their relationship would begin to emerge in the gossip column, thinly cloaked in helpful tips and advice.

Her friends' smile didn't do anything to tamp down her sudden apprehension at the rumours that would be circulating but she tried to hide it as she smiled back. The moment drew out until Ginny realised they were still standing outside.

"Oh! Come in, come in! It's a bit cold out but it's quite comfortable inside. The boys are already asleep so we should have a quiet night."

She ushered them into the kitchen and had them sit at the table. After a bit of fussing around she placed a teapot and cups along with plates of biscuits and cakes. It looked like Ginny was filling her time waiting for the baby to come with baking. No one was complaining. Once they all had their tea and sweets, Ginny took a sip of her drink and placed it on the table before sighing happily. Her eyes darted between the two of them and her smile widened.

"I just want to say, I'm so glad you're here tonight Draco. I've been dying to meet you properly, you know, as an adult and all that. I think it's wonderful that you and Hermione ended up together. Just wonderful."

Hermione nearly put her hands to her face in embarrassment. She knew that Ginny became all gushy and (just a little bit) ridiculous when she was pregnant but this was way over the top. Maybe the idea of romance was what made her act this way. She looked to Draco and found he was taking it all in his stride.

"Thanks Ginny. It's nice to know that I'll be accepted by you. After everything that's happened it's going to take a bit of work to put it all behind us but I think we can all be great friends. Well, most of us anyway. I just hope Harry is as welcoming as you are."

Ginny shook her head and said, "Oh don't you worry about Harry. He'll be fine, I'm sure. Once he sees you two together I'm sure he won't object. He's gotten rather good at separating the past from the present. He had to, really, to retain his sanity. And with two little boys plus little no name here he won't have much time to think on it too much."

Hermione seized the opportunity to change the subject.

"So have you and Harry thought up any names? I know you were having trouble deciding on one together. I always thought Lily would be a nice name for a girl. Or Rose. Or you could have another boy." Hermione knew Ginny was hoping for a girl. Someone to dress up in pretty little outfits and to buy dolls for. She didn't want what had happened to her own parents. To have so many boys would be chaotic at best. Already the two boys ran circles around her with their mischief.

The red-head seemed to pale slightly at the mention of another boy.

"I love James and Albus, I do, but a baby girl would be nice. Although, knowing my luck I'd end up with one like me!"

She chuckled, likely remembering all of the things she had gotten up to, rivalling the twins as the chief mischief maker. She shrugged and said," I'll be happy with whatever I get. I always wanted a big family. Actually Harry and I are thinking of adding another floor onto this house. Otherwise it'll get a bit cramped if we have more children. Speaking of houses, do you think you two will be moving in together?"

Hermione's face turned a dark shade of red as she rushed to say something.

"Ah, we haven't quite got that far Ginny! We've been on one date or two I guess if you count this one. Just slow down a bit alright? Gee, next you'll be asking where we're getting married and how many kids we'll have!"

Draco burst out laughing. He had been enjoying watching the girls banter away. It felt so good to be among friendly people again after being separated from everyone. His self-imposed exile had come to an end. He knew Ginny wouldn't stand for him to not be involved, especially if he and Hermione were going to be together in a serious relationship.

They looked at him for a moment and then began to giggle. Whatever tension had been present vanished as they settled down to drink tea and eat biscuits.

After most of the plates were empty and the teapot had been refilled and emptied twice, Draco excused himself to go to the bathroom.

As soon as he left the room Ginny pounced.

"So?! How was the date? How was his mother? Oh my goodness, you should read what the papers are saying! It's mostly ridiculous, like saying where you'll be going on your honeymoon and confirmations that you are indeed living together and got married secretly! But I know that's not true. Is it?"

Hermione glanced at the doorway, nervous that Draco would come back in a moment. She moved around closer to her friend and said," For a start, no we are not married or living together. How silly! We only just met for goodness sake. Our date was really nice. We had dinner at his house and it was lovely. He made sure there were loads of muggle choices for me, to make me feel comfortable at The Manor. Narcissa didn't interrupt too much, though we did hear her shouting at a house elf. Other than that it was quite a normal evening to be honest. It was nice to get to know each other without any pressure. At least we had that for one night before the papers got hold of the story."

Ginny clasped her hands to her chest as she smiled. The happiness she felt for her friend was palpable as she grabbed her arm to pull her into a hug. Unfortunately for Hermione she grabbed the exact spot Ron had earlier, which made her yelp in pain and pull away cradling her arm.

"You're hurt! Why didn't you say anything? I can heal that for you no problem."

She jumped up to grab her wand while Hermione wondered why she hadn't thought of that herself.

"Roll up your sleeve so I can have a look."

Ginny waited as the material was reluctantly pulled up and she gasped at the dark blue bruises that decorated her friend's skin. They seemed to form the shape of a hand and it only took her a second to jump to a conclusion.

"Did Draco do this to you? How could he? That bastard!"

Hermione held her hands up to quiet her friend before she said something she would really regret. Before she could speak, Draco came back into the kitchen. Luckily all Ginny did was stare daggers at him. It only took him a moment to see what had happened but he thought it was up to Hermione if she wanted to tell her friend the truth so he returned to his chair and waited. Hermione took a deep breath.

"No, it wasn't Draco, Ginny. I don't believe he would ever do this to me. It's really hard for me to tell you this but it was Ron. He came to the library today just as I was getting ready to come here with Draco and he lost it. He'd been reading the papers and came to confront me about it. When I tried to leave with Draco, he grabbed me. Luckily Draco was there otherwise I'm not sure how it would have turned out. He was just so enraged; I've never seen him like that before, at least not directly at me like that."

Ginny sat back in her chair as Hermione got up to sit closely by Draco again. As she sat down she leaned against his side and he could feel she was shaking. Repeating what had happened seemed to make the whole situation sink in a bit more and she was really feeling how volatile the altercation had been. It would have been so much worse if Draco hadn't been there. She rested her head on his shoulder as she waited for Ginny's response.

Her face began to turn red as she realised what her brother had done and what he might have done if not interrupted.

"How dare he! No brother of mine treats someone that way! I knew the fame had gone to his head but now it seems like he thinks he can do whatever he wants!"

Her anger only seemed to grow which alarmed Hermione. Her friend was so close to her due date. The last thing she needed was to go into labour because of Ron being an idiot.

"Calm down Ginny. Everything is fine, really. Nothing happened. I'll just make sure Ron can't get in to see me anymore and that should solve the whole thing."

"But you live alone! He could come to your house any time!"

Hermione sighed and said," I'll put up extra wards to keep him out. And you forget that I'm not completely alone now. Draco will be around from time to time and when you have the baby I'll be here. So relax. I can look after myself. Ron was never particularly good at duelling and I can knock him on his ass if he comes anywhere near me."

She smiled as the colour in the red-heads face began to recede and she took some deep breaths. Draco patted her leg, letting her know he was definitely going to be around. He whispered in her ear," That's right. You'll have to try hard to shake me now. I'll look after you, I promise."

He kissed her cheek and put his arm around her shoulders, making her feel safe already. The chiming of a clock in the lounge room told her it was time to leave. Draco stood with her and she went to Ginny and hugged her.

"We should go. It's late and I confess I'm a bit tired. And you should be in bed yourself. Running around after those little boys all day while heavily pregnant can't be much fun. Here's hoping Harry comes home soon."

Ginny nodded," Yeah, it does get a bit much for me. He tried to get out of the assignment but the head auror wouldn't hear of it. Luckily he'll be retiring soon and hopefully Harry can take the top spot. Then he can have more time with us and balance his work and life a bit better."

They walked to the door and before leaving another round of hugs were in order. After hugging Draco, Ginny said," You look after her. Hermione deserves some happiness," she cocked her head to the side," and you do too I'd say."

Draco grinned and patted her arm," Yes, I think we all do. It's been so long since the war but everyone is still putting the pieces back together."

They left the house, arm in arm and apparated back to Hermione's lounge room. Hermione turned into his arms and rested her head under his chin.

"Thank you. For being here and coming to Ginny's and looking after me. I know we haven't been 'together' long but it feels like we've been dating for years. I already know I just want to be with you and….."

Draco cut her off by tilting her head back and kissing her deeply, his tongue invading her mouth, sending tingling sensations down her back. He broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. His voice was low as he said," I should be the one thanking you. I ended up completely isolating myself from everyone and everything, even my mother though that turns out to have been the right choice."

She could hear the smile in his voice.

"I realise now that I missed out on so much. Seeing Ginny tonight really made me see that. Though I guess I shouldn't complain. If I hadn't shut myself off I'd probably be married to some woman my mother chose and then I wouldn't have met you."

Hermione smiled and said," Does this mean we're officially girlfriend and boyfriend? It sounds a bit silly, saying it out loud but I just need to know you want the same thing I do."

Draco nodded and said," Yeah, I know what you mean. And I do, want the same thing you do. A normal relationship would be a nice start, well as normal as we can have anyway with the papers hanging around like they are."

Hermione snorted at that.

"Well the only thing I want right now is sleep."

A nervous look appeared on her face as she asked," Do you think you would mind, I mean do you think it would be okay if you stayed tonight? I don't really feel like being alone after all that stuff with Ron and I haven't had a chance to put the wards up yet…..I sound pathetic I know but….."

Draco cupped her face gently and shook his head.

"It's not pathetic at all. I'll stay as long as you want."

Hermione's face lit up and she grabbed his hand and led him to her bedroom. Just outside the door she stopped and pointed to a door at the end of the hall way.

"The bathroom's down there if you need it. I'll get you some towels in the morning unless you wanted to take a shower now?"

He shook his head and they continued on into the bedroom. Draco was glad to see the room was simply furnished without those frilly bed covers that some women liked. The king size bed was draped with a dark purple quilt with matching pillow cases. The carpet was a light oatmeal colour and the only other pieces of furniture were two bedside tables and a large chest of draws. A recess to his left would be where her hanging clothes were kept and the dark purple curtains perfectly matched the bed spread. Hermione disappeared into the recess to change into her pyjamas and Draco took it as his opportunity to strip down to his boxers and singlet. He got under the covers just as she emerged in light pink satin pyjama pants and a black singlet. He noted, almost subconsciously, that she had removed her bra but he tried not to dwell on it for too long. This sleep over was strictly platonic comfort only. It would be difficult for him to hide his desire, hopefully she would go to sleep quickly, and then he could relax. The morning would be the next hurdle but luckily he was an early riser so he would most likely be awake and in the shower before she got up.

Hermione hesitated before walking over to her side of the bed and climbing in. She sat awkwardly before saying," This is a little odd for me. I haven't had anyone in my bed for some time. So if I act a bit strange then please just ignore it. I just hope I don't accidentally punch or kick you during the night.

Draco just lay down and pulled her onto his chest. She froze for a second and then snuggled into his body, placing one of her arms across his torso.

"Comfy?" he murmured.

"Mhmmm."

Within a few minutes she was asleep. Her even breathing pushed her chest against his side but he found it more comforting than sexual. Hermione wasn't the only one who hadn't slept in a bed with someone for a long time. He didn't think he would manage to get to sleep but before long the sounds of her steady breathing and her warm presence beside helped him tip over into the dark abyss of sleep with a smile on his face.

* * *

Ron stood in the shadows just beyond the garden gate that led up to Hermione's cottage, smoking a cigarette. His rage from before had settled into a slow burn, fuelling his hatred for Draco. After the war he had been firmly against allowing former death eaters who were cleared of any crime to settle back into society. He had thought there would an outcry about it but most people just accepted it and got on with their lives. After realising no one wanted to hear his views against it he had thrown himself into the party life and insulated himself with alcohol and women. If he didn't see it then he wouldn't have to deal with it.

He had never once thought his ignoring the situation would come back to bite him on the ass though. Who in a million years would have guessed that Hermione would choose to be with Draco over him? If they had executed them all he wouldn't be in this mess. He would have Hermione back where she belonged and he could continue on with his life as usual. He wouldn't stop partying; he'd just make sure he got better at hiding it. Then Hermione would be happy in her ignorance and he'd be happy choosing a different woman each night while still being able to go home to a cooked dinner and beer. Now what woman wouldn't love that arrangement?

His anger began to rise as he thought of Hermione and how ungrateful she had been. She had been jealous, he supposed. Jealous that he was more famous and better liked than her. That's the reason she had broken up with him, he was sure.

He threw his spent cigarette on the ground and stomped it out with more violence than was necessary. _Well_, he thought, _I'll get her back one way or another and I'll force her to love me again. Whatever it takes._ And he knew exactly who to go to for help. In a blink of the eye he was gone, leaving the shadows to seem just a little bit darker for his presence.

* * *

Draco's eyes snapped open as he felt soft female hands running over his chest and stomach. His initial alarm settled as he remembered where he was and who was next to him in the bed. He moved his head to the side and saw that Hermione was still asleep and wasn't aware that her movements were beginning to drive him crazy. It was only a matter of time before she brushed against his erection and if that happened he would have a difficult time restraining himself from flipping her on her back and kissing her senseless before moving onto more pleasurable things.

He gently patted her hand to see if that would suffice to wake her up and thankfully it did. He could think of plenty of other things to do to get a reaction from her but none of them were suitable to this particular morning so he was glad when her eyelids fluttered up after the first pat.

"Good morning," she muttered with a smile on her face. She stretched out alongside her bed mate and then settled her head back onto his shoulder. They stayed like that for a little while until reality began to seep into their cosy little bubble. Hermione sat up and said," I'll get you a towel so you can use the shower. I'll get the coffee going. I'm afraid I don't have much in the pantry but I do have a couple of different kinds of cereal."

She shuffled out of bed and grabbed her bath robe before going across the hall to get a towel from the linen cupboard. Draco met her on the threshold of the bedroom and let the towel drop to the floor when she handed it to him as he reached for her instead. He planted a hard kiss on her lips and ran his hands up and down her back saying, "I thought a good morning kiss was in order first. Now I'll have that shower."

He let go of her and managed to jump out of the way as she tried to land a slap on his behind. He laughed and made it to the bathroom to shut the door before she could pursue him and she giggled. If this was what their mornings were going to be like, she decided she would have to invite him over more often.

Once the coffee was ready, Hermione arranged the boxes of cereal on the kitchen table and got the milk out. She was sipping the brew by the time Draco appeared again and she passed him the part of the paper she wasn't reading. He smiled and helped himself to some breakfast. The early morning sun shone in through the bay windows and pooled on the floor around them as they settled in for a comfortable breakfast together.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hi all! This chapter begins with some explicit material, don't read if you don't like. The rest of it is fine though, after the first lot of little stars to break the section up. I wasn't going to write any explicit scenes but I didn't think I could illustrate Ron as a depraved git without it. I hope I don't lose anyone for it!**

Ron was sprawled on the bed, with a bed sheet draped over his thighs. He watched as smoke swirled above and he took another drag on the cigarette, adding to the chaotic whorls over his head. His mind was pleasantly blank as he lay there. It was usually the case after sex. It was his outlet for all the frustrations and anger he held within him, especially these days. Whenever he felt just a little out of control and wanted rough sex he always called on Daphne. She was sometimes more violent than him and he liked that. She played the perfect little pure blood witch in public, so much so that only a handful of people knew what she was really like. Volatile, angry, foul-mouthed, spontaneous. Those were just a few words he would use to describe her to himself. He chuckled. He loved being in on the secret. Watching her in public, being so polite and lady-like, was a major turn on for him at times. The contrast between her two selves was so extreme. He wondered how she had kept the pretence up for so long without any cracks showing on the surface.

"And just what are you laughing at?"

Daphne stood in the doorway to the bathroom, hands on hips and completely nude. Ron took a moment to leer at her almost perfect body (he'd always thought it was a shame her tits weren't bigger) before replying.

"Nothing much. Just thinking about how you play the lady in public and to your family but really you're a dirty little whore."

He smiled as he said the last part, waiting to see what reaction he would get from her. Surprisingly she didn't react in anger. Instead she threw her head back and laughed.

"Ha! Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. You, Mr Weasley, are just as much a whore as I am. A depraved one at that. That's part of the reason I can't wrap my mind around your wanting that pasty witch back. I'll bet all she does is lie there like a corpse when you fuck her. How boring!"

She sauntered over to the bed and crawled up to him to kiss him hard on the lips. She drew back a bit and said," She's got nothing on me baby. I know what you want."

Ron felt himself go hard as he looked her over. He grabbed one of her breasts and tweaked the nipple, making her moan. Their lips met again in a violent clash of tongue and teeth. He could smell her readiness and was about to pull her down onto his cock but she moved right back and rested on her haunches with a sly smile on her face. He growled and reached for her again but she swatted his hands away. She moved, turning her back to him and he thought she was going to leave the bed altogether. Sometimes she liked to arouse him then leave, laughing and saying he could finish himself off.

But this time she wasn't leaving. She simply turned to get onto her hands and knees, her toned butt in the air. She looked over her shoulder at him and grinned. It only took him a moment to rise on his knees but before he entered her he had another idea. He grasped her hip with one hand to keep her still as he guided his member to her entrance. He rubbed his head along her slit and she moaned. Daphne tried to move her hips to take him but he stilled her movements and continued to tease her by inserting the head of his cock into her but going no further. He made small movements, revelling in how wet she was. Daphne mewled in frustration and after struggling a bit more she finally begged him.

"Please Ron…fuck me hard. I want to feel your cock in my pussy. Now…..please…"

Her breathless pleading was interspersed with moans and after another pause he slammed into her from behind. She screamed at the impact and he felt her get even wetter, her muscles tightening around his cock. He felt himself grow even harder and he continued to ram into her. He reached around to play with her clit, wanting her to be completely at his mercy. Her breath was coming in little pants as she neared her climax. When she came he felt her pussy clamp around his member, milking him in her orgasm and he came, hard and fast. They lay in a heap of sweaty flesh and tried to get their breath back. He withdrew from her and grabbed for the box of tissues by the bed, wiping up the mess. Daphne flipped over onto to her back and accepted a wad of tissue, placing it between her thighs.

The sweat on her skin glimmered in the light from the bathroom and seemed to make her glow. She was definitely one of the hottest women he had bedded. Her tits were round and perky and her athletic body was toned and trim and able to take any position during sex that he wanted. Her desire for sex was unmatched and she seemed to always be ready and waiting for him to take her, with minimal foreplay to get her ready. He liked that about her. She was low maintenance and extremely horny. If only she could cook, then she would be the perfect woman in his eyes.

He lit a cigarette and handed it to Daphne. She grinned in thanks and puffed away, moving to lean against the headboard as he was. Once he was settled with his own smoke, Daphne spoke.

"You know, I think I will help you with this little plan of yours. I was always a bit miffed that Astoria was the one chosen to marry Draco. She's such a milksop. And she failed at that anyway, no surprise there. Astoria never liked getting her hands dirty and despised mess. I'll bet they only ever had sex once."

She chuckled to herself.

"There's a ball coming up. Narcissa is hosting it at the Manor. I think I might try and play a little interference. She always liked me better anyway. I remember over-hearing mother and Narcissa talking one day in the study. She was worried that Astoria was too much a fragile doll to marry into her family and wouldn't handle the responsibilities so well. Mother just brushed over it and when Narcissa mentioned me as a replacement she was shot down rather quickly. It'd be hilarious if I managed to take the great Malfoy down in the end!"

She laughed out loud and turned to Ron, running a hand playfully up and down his chest and stomach.

"So if you want your darling Hermione back then I'm sure we can work something out."

She stroked his penis and smirked when it began to harden again. Before Ron could react she had stubbed her cigarette out in the ash tray and then was kneeling between his legs with his member in her hand.

"But first we have so many other things to do."

Ron groaned as she took him into her mouth completely. He let his head flop back on the pillows and closed his eyes. They could make plans later, he thought, before all coherent thoughts fled his mind and pleasure invaded.

"Daphne! What a lovely surprise! Please, come in."

Narcissa waved the girl into the house quickly, completely missing the smirk on the other's lips before it was smoothed away into a bland smile. She looked around the entrance hall, noting how different the place looked since Draco had taken it over. Shadows no longer graced the edges of the room due to some low lighting and she took a moment to observe the artwork on the walls. She turned to the older woman and said," Well, it looks like Draco has made his mark on the house. Have all of the rooms been refurbished?"

Naricssa nodded and gestured to a door on the left.

"You're just in time for tea. It'll be nice to have someone to sit with. I haven't had many visitors yet and I'm so busy with organising the ball I really haven't had time to call on anyone myself."

She shrugged her shoulders as if to say she didn't care too much about it anyway and proceeded into what turned out to be a small parlour. Sunlight was streaming in through the windows, helping the illuminate everything in the room. A baby grand piano stood in a corner to the left and an enormous fireplace dwarfed the wall to the right. _What is it with this house and fireplaces?_ Daphne wondered. Sure it was a drafty old house and they needed them for warmth and also to access the floo network but it seemed the Malfoys had taken it to the next extreme with decorative carvings and elaborate designs. The parlour fireplace was made from rose coloured marble and had rose briars carved into it. Upon closer inspection, she could spot little dragons hiding within the flowers and thorns. The mantle was bare, no clocks or picture frames sat there but that didn't surprise her. The Malfoys weren't exactly the sentimental type. They protected their family name and reputation fiercely but it didn't mean they wouldn't turn on each other to do so. As they sat down to pour the tea Daphne decided to jump in and begin her meddling.

"Speaking of the ball, I thought you might like some help with planning and all that. I used to help mother all the time so I'm rather practiced at menu planning and decoration decisions. I even considered starting my own business at one point. And I know mother would love to get together with you and chat. She missed you when you lived in Paris."

Narcissa looked thoughtful for a moment as she sipped her drink. Daphne could almost see the exact moment when she decided to accept. She managed to keep the smirk off her face.

"Oh that would be wonderful dear. Now that I think about it, I wonder why I didn't ask for help sooner. The parties your mother held were always so elegant and lovely. And I know you go to a lot of the Ministry balls as well."

She nodded to herself as she thought it through. Daphne wanted to giggle in glee at how easy it had been getting back into the Malfoy circle. The next step was getting to Draco and that would be easy. She had a whole month before she had to deliver to Ron and she was going to take her time, building up the anticipation. She shivered slightly in delight. This was going to be so much fun!

Draco took his time walking up to the front door of The Manor. He wanted to savour his good mood while it lasted and he knew as soon as he entered the house, that he was more than likely going to run into his mother. And they would argue. And he would be tempted to repel her from the house magically and lock her out for good. So he took some time looking at the plants that filled the front garden. He knew that when his parents had married his mother had planned the gardens on the estate and had spent a great deal of time in them too. Then Voldemort had come into being and slowly even that happy past time for her had been taken away. He supposed the house elves looked after them now since the grounds didn't seem to be unkempt. He made a note to invite Hermione over to have a picnic once the cold weather had passed. He touched the blooms of a white rose bush. She would love the flowers and some of the rare plants would intrigue her. And he simply just wanted to spend a whole day in her company, relaxing in the sunshine. He dawdled until he couldn't delay any longer. He approached the front door and cautiously stepped into the foyer. He was about to hurry into his study when a voice stopped him.

"Draco! How nice to see you again."

He turned on the spot and found Daphne, standing in the doorway to his mother's parlour. It had been years since he had seen her, let alone spoken to her and he was lost for words for a moment as the very male part of his brain took in her slim figure, especially her long shapely legs that were accentuated by the grey pencil skirt she was wearing. He also couldn't stop himself from noticing her nipples pushing against the white silk blouse she was wearing and he briefly wondered if she was wearing a bra before he shut the thought off completely. What was wrong with him? He had only been back in the dating world for two seconds and he was already becoming some sort of disgusting lothario.

"Hello Daphne. I'd love to stop and chat but I really do have some urgent work to attend to."

He made to escape into his study but a very female hand appeared on his arm.

"Surely you can spare a moment or two to have some tea with us? I'm helping your mother plan the upcoming ball and we're having a wonderful time but we could use a break."

As she spoke she steered him around and before Draco knew it he was sitting in the parlour with his mother and Daphne, sipping from a cup of tea. The women were talking about this and that but Daphne made sure to include him in the conversation so he didn't drift away into his own thoughts and be tempted to leave their company. Slowly he felt himself relax and he found he was enjoying listening to the little bits of gossip and other information about the people he used to socialise with. An hour flew by and Draco was only aware of it when he heard the faint chiming of the clock in his study. He made to stand and he noticed that Daphne pouted in his direction, prompting him to explain, though he didn't know why. He could leave whenever he wanted but he still felt bad.

"I should get back to work. I've neglected things a little bit over the last day or so."

Daphne raised an eyebrow.

"Work? What work do you have to do? I thought you were a shameless playboy who spent his days and night drinking and socialising?"

The tone of her voice and smile told Draco she was joking and he returned her smile.

"Well, let's just keep this "work" between us. I'd hate to ruin my image by doing something productive for society."

He stood and said, "I'll leave you ladies to your planning. I'd be of no use anyway. I never had much of a head for parties and such."

He left the room and entered the warm seclusion of his study. He closed the door behind him and nearly made it to his desk before a soft tapping came from behind him. He thought about ignoring it but in the end said," Come in."

The door swung open and Daphne entered the room, looking around curiously. He saw her roll her eyes at the fireplace before she spoke.

"This room certainly looks different. I'm glad to see all the nasty curios are gone. Those shrunken heads always freaked me out."

Draco crossed his arms and waited for her to get to the point. He knew she was here for something, he just hadn't figured it out yet. Where her sister had been bland and submissive, Daphne had always been intelligent and assertive. And just a little bit cunning. She was a Slytherin after all.

She sauntered toward him and stopped just before running into him.

"I just wanted to let you know that I'll be around a bit, helping your mother and all that. And if you need help with anything, just let me know. And I mean _anything_ Draco." She almost purred his name.

"You shouldn't have to bury yourself in work. A little fun wouldn't hurt."

She smiled as she trailed her fingers up his arm and rested it on his shoulder. A subtle fragrance of vanilla and cinnamon teased his nose and he inhaled her scent without thinking. He leaned forward slightly as she moved in to whisper," We could have a lot of fun together. I always thought you were wasted on Astoria. Someone like you needs a woman with passion and an adventurous spirit. "

She closed the gap between them and pressed her body against him slightly before withdrawing, a smirk on her lips. She swayed her hips as she walked away, completely aware that he was staring at her ass. She paused and looked over her shoulder.

"Just think about it."

And she left the room, her fragrance lingering behind her. Draco stood in a daze, his mind empty of any thoughts for the moment. He shook his head.

"Dammit."

He strode over to the liquor cabinet in the corner and poured himself a shot of whiskey. He downed it in one go and then poured another to sip at his desk. As he sat he willed his erection to go away. The fact that he had one at all was not good. He couldn't just go around being half seduced by another woman when he wanted to make plans with Hermione. The problem was, he couldn't get Daphne's voice out of his head. He had no idea why she was targeting him after all of this time. When he was dating her sister she had come onto him but had given up once he had made it clear that he wasn't the cheating type. And now he knew she must know he was beginning….something…..with Hermione. So the question was why? He could admit that she was tempting. She had the seductress act down perfectly. Her words had made him wonder what kind of 'fun' they could have together. It had been so long since he had had that kind of fun.

He shook his head again.

"Stop it Draco," he murmured to himself," Hermione is the girl for you. Focus on her."

He thought about how she looked when she slept and the cheeky smile on her face that morning and he grinned. Yes, Hermione was definitely the one for him. He managed to focus on his research work but Daphne's fragrance lingered in the air and kept her in his thoughts, perhaps more than she should be.


End file.
